Melbourne World Cup - Keirin

The last day of the World Cup saw the Keirin event. Typically I haven’t had much of a real focus on the Keirin, but lately it has been my better individual event and today solidified that thought. To show how cut throat the competition was there were six heats and only one rider went through to the second round! This is amazing achievement for women's sprint and overall the quality of riders for the women's sprint across all events was World Championships worthy.

I executed a mostly OK heat, but made one small error which cost me the win. I came second to up and coming rider Kristina Vogel from Germany who is fast becoming a real favourite as a medal winning rider in London, and I will be keeping my on her. So I had to go to the repecharge (as I always seem to do!). The thing for me with the Keirin is that I tend to get better as the day goes on and the rep always seems to put my legs in a good place. I won my rep, holding off another up and comer of Monique Sullivan from Canada. I was happy to be through to the second round but I was also starting to get very tired and silently dreaded the fact that I had to come back to the track that evening and warm up again!

In the evening I took a more laid back approach to my warm up as I knew my energy levels were at a low. My draw for the second round literally was worthy of a World Championships final and I knew that I had to position myself well to have even an opportunity to make it into the final. I was able to do that and executed a very good race to finish second again to Kristina Vogel, with the first three going though to the final. I was starting to get pretty pumped, as racing a final on home turf is a pretty exciting thing! I desperately wanted a gold medal – a bit of glory of my own.

The final again was a tightly contested match up with both Anna and myself along with the two French girls Sandie Clair and Clara Sanchez. My plan was pretty simple. To get either Anna or Kristina's wheel as I believed the both of them had the best form and I knew at that stage of the meet that I wouldn't have the legs to come around or lead out. Luckily for me I drew second position with Anna on first and off the start line I was able to snag Anna's wheel – perfect!

Ready to ride the final! Come on!

I laid off Anna and protected her wheel as best I could and then as Clara Sanchez made her move I covered it whilst Anna picked up the pace. With the bends so wide in Melbourne if you didn’t get over the top before the bend you were pretty much a goner, Clara ran out of legs – however still managed amazingly to hold on for third whilst Anna and I finished first and second. Anna's third gold medal at this meet and the same result for her in two years in Melbourne and my second individual medal at this level. I was pretty happy with myself to pull through the mental battle I was having with my legs and also stoked to get a medal.

YAY! A silver medal! Left to right - Me, Anna and Clara Sanchez

With the World Cup over I finished on a high but with the knowledge that there is much work and learning still to be done. Anna has made a big leap forward and I am going to have to pick up my game to make sure I take a step with her going forward to London.

Onwards and upwards! Bring on the next race! : )

Signing some gloves for Josiah Ng, my 5Bling glove sponsor! Thanks Jojo and Kim for you're amazing support and fantastic products!