Anna Turvey claims bronze at European Track Championships

Ireland’s Anna Turvey has won a bronze medal in the Women’s Individual Pursuit at the 2016 UEC European Track Championships in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome in Paris today.

Earlier this afternoon she qualified to the bronze medal final with the 3rd fastest time, pitting her against Ina Savenka. Turvey, who has been part of the Cycling Ireland track programme for just under a year, lead the bronze medal final from the start, pulling out an early lead of about one second. Despite a push at the halfway mark by the Belarussian, Turvey continued to extend her lead, winning Ireland’s first female medal in the elite European Track Championships.

Speaking after the race a surprised Turvey, who was racing at the Road World Championships in the Time Trial last week said “I’m ecstatic and shocked. I can’t believe it. I knew I was going well in the Time Trial, because I had been focusing on it for Doha, but it’s just unbelievable! I wasn’t planning on coming here, but someone got injured so I said I’d race. I came straight from Doha, and was a bit scared because I wasn’t on the velodrome for ages, but was okay after a few days.”

Turvey was also competing in the Team Pursuit on Wednesday and Thursday; “I was actually really pleased with the Team Pursuit this week too. Three of us hadn’t raced one before, and I think we did really well considering that! I’m really excited about that, I just said that I might as well do the individual pursuit while I was here and had no expectations - it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I’m heading home tomorrow and back to work on Sunday - I didn’t even tell anyone I was coming here, I didn’t think I’d be going back with a medal!”

Racing is still underway in Paris, with Felix English competing in the Omnium, Shannon McCurley in the Keirin and Lydia Gurley in the Points Race. Earlier today Eimear Moran was relegated to 6th in her heat of the Keirin and Eileen Burns finished 21st in the Individual Pursuit. Eoin Mullen was also racing, finishing in 21st place in the Sprint event.

GOLD

Katie Archibald (GB)

SILVER

Justyna Kaczkowska (POL)

BRONZE

Anna Turvey (IRL)