Ulmer gives Kiwis historic gold
Two new world records
Sarah Ulmer gave New Zealand their first ever Olympic cycling gold medal and only their second gold of the Athens Games yesterday while breaking her own world record for the women's 3-km individual pursuit.
In the men's races, Australia set a world record in the 4-km team pursuit in qualifying for today's final, where they will take on Britain.
Ulmer clocked 3 minutes 24.537 seconds in the 12-lap final to shave nearly two seconds off the world best she set on Saturday.
Katie Mactier of Australia took silver while defending champion Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel had to settle for bronze.
The 34-year-old flying Dutchwoman will nevertheless retire as the most decorated woman in the short history of women's Olympic cycling with four golds - three from Sydney and one from Athens - and a bronze.
New Zealand had never struck gold in Olympic cycling, either on the track or the road. Their only previous medal in the sport was a bronze won by Gary Anderson in the men's individual pursuit at the Barcelona Games in 1992.
"I wasn't thinking about that before the race but it's awesome to be able to sit and think about it now," Ulmer said. "I'm a pretty patriotic person."
After stepping down from the podium, the 28-year-old from Auckland scaled the sloping hardwood sides of the Athens velodrome and hugged her parents and brother, who draped her in an All Black flag.
Mactier has now finished second behind Ulmer in the world championships, the Olympics and in their battle for the pursuit world record, which they lowered three times this weekend.
Australia's men's pursuit team gave an awesome display of power and control to lower their own 4-km world record to 3 minutes 56.610 seconds - an average speed of over 60kmh sustained over 16 laps.
They will start favourites against Britain today while Germany and Spain will contest the bronze medal race.