April 16/06 1:11 am - Grain's Silver Medal (Story & Photos)
Posted by Editor on 04/16/06
Grain Scores Silver Medal at Track Worlds
Courtesy Sean O'Donnell, CCA
Gina Grain, of Vancouver, BC, won a silver medal today (April 16th) in the Women's Scratch Race at the 2006 Track World Championships in Bordeaux, France. Grain initiated a break with 17 laps to go and was able to take a lap on the field with the eventual gold medal winner from Colombia, Maria Luisa Williams Calle. Olga Slyusareva of Russia would take bronze
"I kept listening to what Eric (head coach Van den Eynde) said to me before the race about being patient and looking for the right opportunity. I saw that a large group had just come back to us after a long time out front and it seemed like a good opportunity to take a chance and attack" said Grain after the race.
The group would surprisingly not counter her attack except for the rider from Colombia, who would bridge up to Grain with about 10 laps to go. The two would take turns at the front until they were able to catch the main group with about 5 laps to go. It was at that moment that Grain made perhaps her only mistake in the race in putting forward a hard effort to finally close the gap with the peloton. "I probably pushed too hard and stayed on the front too long. When we finally got back to the group, I had no gas left and was not able to stay on Calle's wheel for the final sprint to the line. It's a mistake I'll remember that's for sure!" said Grain.
Grain has not felt well throughout these Worlds after a busy schedule has seen her in compete in Australia at road and track World Cup events, the Commonwealth Games and these World Championships all within the last 6 weeks. "I didn't think I would be able to spin my way out of a paper bag today and certainly not be in a position to win a medal."
Nonetheless, Grain would ride comfortably to silver, capping an end to a successful season. "It's a great way to end the season after coming so close to two medals in the Commonwealth Games (Grain finished 4th in the Women's Points Race on the track and 4th in the Women's Road Race). Eric has had so much faith and confidence in me. It's nice to be able to pay it back today with my silver medal."
Canada also participated in the Men's Madison this afternoon. The team of Martin Gilbert and Zach Bell were overmatched by the field and were forced to abandon the race.
(l-r) Gina Grain, Maria Luisa Williams Calle, Olga Slyusareva (Courtesy Sean O'Donnell, CCA)
Gina Grain celebrates her first World Championship medal (photo: CJ Farquharson, WomensCycling.net)
Grain and Calle on their breakaway (photo: CJ Farquharson, WomensCycling.net)
Day 4 Final Results
Women's Scratch Race
1 Maria Luisa Calle Williams (Colombia)
2 Gina Grain (Canada)
at 1 lap
3 Olga Slyusareva (Russia)
4 Rebecca Quinn (USA)
5 Elke Gebhardt (Germany)
6 Annalisa Cucinotta (Italy)
7 Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic)
8 Adrie Visser (Netherlands)
9 Joanne Kiesanowski (New Zealand)
10 Katherine Bates (Australia)
11 Gema Pascual Torrecilla (Spain)
12 Pascale Schnider (Switzerland)
13 Maria Tzoumanika (Greece)
14 Karen Verbeek (Belgium)
15 Katarzyna Jagusiak (Poland)
16 Nikki Harris (Great Britain)
17 Iona Wynter Parks (Jamaica)
18 Elodie Henriette (France)
19 Yoanka Gonzalez (Cuba)
20 Lyudmyla Vypyraylo (Ukraine)
Women's Keirin
Round 1 Repechage
Heat 1
1 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
2 Kerrie Meares (Australia)
3 Tamilia Abassova (Russia)
4 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain)
Relegated - Anna Meares (Australia)
Relegated - Lizandra Guerra (Cuba)
Heat 2
1 Celine Nivert (France)
2 Mu Di (China)
3 Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
4 Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
5 Miriam Welte (Germany)
6 Dana Gloss (Germany)
Round 2
Heat 1
1 Clara Sanchez (France) 11.733
2 Christin Muche (Germany)
3 Mu Di (China)
4 Celine Nivert (France)
5 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
6 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)
Heat 2
1 Shuang Guo (China) 12.247
2 Jennie Reed (USA)
3 Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus)
3 Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
5 Tamilia Abassova (Russia)
6 Kerrie Meares (Australia)
Gold Medal Final
1 Christin Muche (Germany)
2 Clara Sanchez (France)
3 Shuang Guo (China)
4 Jennie Reed (USA)
DNF Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
DSQ Mu Di (China)
Ride for 7th-12th
7 Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus)
8 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)
9 Tamilia Abassova (Russia)
10 Kerrie Meares (Australia)
11 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
12 Celine Nivert (France)
Men's Madison
1 Spain 16 points
2 Ukraine 11
3 Argentina 9
4 Great Britain 6
at 1 lap
5 Switzerland 15
6 Belgium 9
7 Netherlands 6
8 Russia 5
9 Australia 5
at 2 laps
10 France 11
11 United States 5
12 Slovakia 4
13 Italy
14 Czech Republic
DNF Denmark
DNF Germany
DNF New Zealand
DNF Canada ( Zach Bell / Martin Gilbert)
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