A golden start in the velodrome led by multiple medalists Aaron Gate, Bryony Botha and Ellesse Andrews has put New Zealand on track to deliver its most successful Commonwealth Games on two wheels.
With five gold medals in their pockets from the first two days of competition, the New Zealand cyclists are just one less than the record of six gold medals they won in 2014 in Glasgow.
The eight medals won so far on bicycles have already surpassed cycling’s total of 17 of the past 21 Commonwealth Games.
New Zealand leads the cycling race in Birmingham and has won two more than Australia.
Aotearoa won 15 Gold Coast cycling medals in 2018, but only managed three golds, via Sam Webster, Eddie Dawkins and Ethan Mitchell in the men’s team sprint, Webster in the individual sprint and Sam Gaze in the men’s mountain bike.
Andrews became a three-time medalist in her first Commonwealth Games when she stunned reigning Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell of Canada to win the women’s sprint final. already conquered the team sprint with Rebecca Petch and Olivia King.
She also helped secure the team pursuit for a silver after Ally Wollaston broke her wrist and was unable to compete.
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Two of New Zealand’s five gold cycling medals have been won by top sprinter Ellesse Andrews.
Andrews’ impressive debut of two golds and one silver has already made her one of New Zealand’s most decorated female riders at the Commonwealth Games.
She will match Sarah Ulmer’s record with another silver, but as it stands, you’d be brave to bet against her standout gold again, with her favorite event, the keirin, yet to take place on Tuesday (NZT).
It was then that Andrews shot to stardom by taking silver at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
Gate, on a “redemption campaign” after a nasty crash at the Olympics, denied New Zealand a bronze medal in the team pursuit, also making it two golds in two days.
He beat teammate Tom Sexton to win the Men’s Individual Pursuit with a stylish ride that was just short of the Commonwealth Games record he set in qualifying. Sexton still picked up a silver for his efforts.
Botha also doubled up on day two by dominating the women’s individual pursuitsetting a new Commonwealth Games record of beating Australian Maeve Plouffe by a whopping 8.666 seconds.
Her winning time of 3:18.456 was 17 seconds faster than her feat four years earlier, having experienced a breakthrough in 2022 after breaking Ulmer’s iconic New Zealand record.
In addition to Andrews at the Keirin, many more medals will be offered in the coming days at London’s Lee Valley VeloPark.
Botha will return to action in the points race (NZT) on Monday, while BMX star Petch showed with her scorching start in the team sprint that she could be one to watch in the 500m time trial.
Gate took bronze as part of a 1-3 finish in the points race in Glasgow and will be surrounded by a team of riders all capable of making the podium.
Once the track events are wrapped up, there’s still the mountain biking, where Gaze and Anton Cooper will replicate their 1-2 finish off the Gold Coast, as well as the road cycling events.
Gate will focus on the time trial as the men’s and women’s road race teams are packed with WorldTour riders, including 2018 silver medalist Georgia Williams and rising star Niamh Fisher-Black.