It’s the first day of competition in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the chat in the riders’ enclosure before the start of the first track cycling session was that Australia and New Zealand had brought a team at the top of their game – and it didn’t take long to become apparent this was true.
Australia dominated the first day in a packed Sir Chris Hoy velodrome in Glasgow, taking six medals back to the athletes’ village just down the road; two golds, a silver and three bronzes.
Anna Meares (in the 500m Time Trial) and the Pursuit Team of Jack Bobridge, Luke Davison, Josh Edmonson and Glen O’Shea won their finals with resounding performances, while New Zealand took the men’s Team Sprint gold after qualifying fastest.
Scotland got on the podium too, three-times Paralympic Champion Aileen McGlynn and her pilot Louise Haston took silver in the women’s Para-Sport Sprint B2 Tandem event.
Men’s Sprint
Australia’s aerodynamic powerhouse Matthew Glaetzer set a new Games Record in the Qualifying round of 9.779.
Seeded one and going off last, his unusual position and pure speed put the New Zealanders Ed Dawkins (9.818) and Sam Webster (9.933) into second and third position.
Scotland’s Callum Skinner (10.198) was faster than Olympic Champion, England’s Jason Kenny (12.206), and slotted one place ahead of him in tenth spot.