Sprint Cyclists Dominate at World Championships

New Zealand’s sprint trio team Ethan Mitchell, 26, Sam Webster, 25, and Eddie Dawkins, 27, made it two world titles in a row and three in four years with a flawless performance at the Track Cycling World Championships in Hong Kong, allowing themselves to dream of an elusive Olympic gold medal.

The New Zealanders were denied Olympic glory last year in Rio by a British team which is now on hiatus, but they were worthy champions in Hong Kong as they qualified fastest for the final and beat the Netherlands by 0.333sec.

“We just want it more than everyone else,” a jubilant Dawkins said. “We’ve been the same three guys in the same order for the last eight years.

“We know each other so well we can fight as hard as we can and still have perfect technique. That’s what we have over the rest of the world.”

After world titles in 2014, 2016 and 2017, as well as Olympic silver last year, one goal is now paramount for the team – victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

“[Tokyo] is in the back of our minds all the time, every race,” Dawkins said.

Original article by AFP, Daily Mail, April 12, 2017.

Photo by AP.