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Birmingham 2022 Track Cycling: Day 3 Australian preview
Jul 31, 2022
Day 3 of the track cycling at Birmingham 2022 coming right up!
There are some big gold medal chances again tonight - get the inside word on who and why below.
Men’s Sprint
- Riders: Matthew Glaetzer, Matthew Richardson and Thomas Cornish
- When: Qualifying from 7:02pm AEST (all times AEST)
The big kahuna of the sprinting program at Birmingham 2022 is the launchpad for Day 3 of competition.
Legs will be weary after last night’s hectic keirin battles but all three of the Australian men will be hungry to go all the way tonight.
All three should easily qualify in the top 10 by 2022 season form, with Richardson at the front of the pack after his UCI Track Nations Cup performances.
Crafty New Zealander Sam Webster is the defending champion, but the biggest test at this stage looks to come from freshly minted Trinidadian keirin gold medallist Nicholas Paul.
The team have targeted a medal here, with Richardson and Glaetzer the most likely sources.
Glaetzer has been medically cleared after last night’s crash in the keirin and will start.
Men’s Para Tandem B Sprint
- Riders: Beau Wootton and Luke Zaccaria (pilot)
- When: Qualifying from 7:42pm
Commonwealth Games debutant Beau Wootton and his pilot Luke Zaccaria are back at the velodrome for their second and final event – the tandem sprint.
Wootton and Zaccaria just missed a bronze medal in the 1000m time trial, however, that would have given them confidence for today.
A high qualification from their flying 200m will be key for their medal prospects.
Men’s Scratch Race
- Riders: Graeme Frislie, James Moriarty and Josh Duffy
- When: Qualifying heats from 8:50pm. Final from 3:42am
The bunch race party swings into gear on Day 3, with the men’s scratch race set to be decided as the last event of the night.
Before that though, riders must go through a 30-lap (7.5km) qualifying round, of which there are two heats.
The top 10 from each heat progress to the final, which is 60 laps (15km).
Tasmanian Josh Duffy is predicted to be the protected rider for the young Australian trio, with James Moriarty and Graeme Frislie at his side.
Duffy is the fastest finisher of the three and is the current scratch race national champion.
Stacked is an understatement for the start list assembled for the 2022 Commonwealth Games scratch race crown.
The boys will have their hands full dealing with English trident Oli Wood, Ethan Vernon and Matt Walls – the Tokyo 2020 omnium gold medallist.
The same can be said for New Zealand’s squad of Corbin Strong, Campbell Stewart and George Jackson.
Welshman Rhys Britton and Scottish duo Mark Stewart and John Archibald will also be in the mix.
It’s going to be a belter – 100 per cent one to set the alarm for.
Women’s Tandem B 1000m Time Trial
- Riders: Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward (pilot)
- When: Final from 12:18am
It was a sensational night of racing for Jessica Gallagher and pilot Caitlin Ward 48 hours ago, winning gold in the women’s tandem sprint convincingly.
They enter as favourites for the 1000m time trial off the back of that and will know a second Commonwealth Games gold medal is within their reach.
Women’s Points Race
- Riders: Chloe Moran, Georgia Baker and Maeve Plouffe
- When: Final from 12:53am
Chloe Moran, Georgia Baker and Maeve Plouffe have 100 laps (25km) of Lee Valley VeloPark ahead of them tonight in the women’s points race.
The points race is one of the most entertaining races on the track, with sprints held every 10 laps for points.
Of the three Aussies, Moran and Baker loom as the two who will be contesting sprints.
The trio will be watching Kiwi Bryony Botha and legendary Englishwoman Laura Kenny very closely.
Women’s 500m Time Trial
- Riders: Kristina Clonan, Breanna Hargrave and Alessia McCaig
- When: Final from 1:32am
Kristina Clonan has been demolishing her way through 500m time trials in 2022 and is a huge gold medal chance tonight.
Clonan has heavily targeted the 500m time trial at Birmingham 2022 and for good reason.
The Queenslander has dipped under the hallowed 33-second barrier on three occasions this year, recording times that are theoretically world championship-winning standard.
If Breanna Hargrave is on her best day she can potentially work her way into medal contention.
All three Aussies are last to start, so it will be tense viewing.
How To Watch The Racing
In Australia, you can watch all the cycling from Birmingham 2022 on Seven and 7plus – live, free and in HD.
7plus will be showing up to 30 live and replay channels, so you can follow your favourite events and catch up on highlights. For streaming, visit the 7plus Commonwealth Games Hub. There are specific streaming pages for track cycling, mountain bike and road cycling.
AusCycling will post event previews and reports throughout the Games on our website.
Social Media
Australian Cycling Team
AusCycling
Commonwealth Games Australia
Hashtags: #LetsRideTogether #BoldInGold #B2022
- Written by
- Josh Davies
- Disciplines
- Track
- Athletes
- Matthew Glaetzer, Thomas Cornish, Kristina Clonan, Georgia Baker