Ireland’s Lara Gillespie has stunned two-time Olympic champion Katie Archibald to win the women’s elimination title at the UCI Track World Championships in Chile on Thursday.
The 24-year-old won the European title earlier this year and took her first world title in what came down to a head-to-head over the final two laps with the more experienced Archibald.
The Briton, whose Olympic golds came in team pursuit, led going into the final corner but could not hold off a surging Gillespie, who powered to her first rainbow jersey.
The bunch race was twice re-started after crashes. Gillespie had to best a 24-person field in what is one of track cycling’s most thrilling contests, where the last-placed rider every two laps is eliminated from the race.
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“It’s really special and I’m so proud of my country and our small team here,” said Gillespie . “It took focus and composure and I kept believing.”
Gillespie is Ireland’s first Track World Champion since Martyn Irvine in 2013. Belgium’s Helene Hesters won bronze.
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In the men’s competition, Dutch master Harrie Lavreysen took his tally of world titles to a record-extending 18 as he produced a masterclass to win the keirin.
The five-time Olympic champion has been almost unbeatable in track cycling’s sprint disciplines for six years although the unpredictable keirin has arguably been his weaker discipline.
But once he burst to the front with two laps remaining in Thursday’s final there was simply no stopping him as he won his fourth world title in the discipline. Australia’s Leigh Hoffman and Lavreysen’s team-mate Jeffrey Hoogland took the silver and bronze.
It was the fourth gold medal of the championships for the powerful Dutch team with Lavreysen and Hoogland also part of the team sprint trio who triumphed over Britain on Wednesday.
Denmark won the men’s team pursuit for the third year in succession as the quartet of Tobias Hansen, Niklas Larsen, Frederik Madsen and Rasmus Pedersen outclassed Australia.
