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Andrews, Fulton stay on target in sprint

Updated: Aug 11

Ellesse Andrews Paris Olympics track cycling
Ellesse Andrews is chasing her third medal in Paris in the women's sprint. PHOTO: THE NZ TEAM

New Zealand track cyclists Ellesse Andrews and Shaane Fulton have stayed on track to potentially ride for medals at the Paris Olympics.


Andrews and Fulton both looked strong as they advanced to the last-12 and the 1/8 final of the women's sprint at Saint-Quinten-en-Yvelines Velodrome on Day 14 on Friday (Saturday NZ Time).


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Andrews, already a silver medallist in the women's sprint - with Fulton and Rebecca Petch - and gold medallist in the women's keirin, posted the third-fastest time in qualifying, at one point holding the world record at 10.108 seconds.


The 24-year-old then dominated both her elimination races, easily beating China's Shanju Bao in the 1/32 finals and France's Taky Kouame in the 1/16 finals.


Fulton needed to go through the 1/16 final repechage stage to remain alive, leading from start to finish to hold off Canada's Lauriane Genest.



The 23-year-old posted the ninth-best time in qualifying of 10.281 seconds, beating Italy's Miriam Vece comfortably in the 1/16 finals, before being pipped on the line by Netherlands' Hetty van der Wouw in the 1/16 finals by just 0.002 seconds.


Both will be in action in the women's sprint 1/8 finals on Saturday (from 3am Sunday NZT). Andrews will former world record holder Kelsey Mitchell and Fulton will battle Great Britain's Sophie Capewell.



Meanwhile, distance riders Bryony Botha and Emily Shearman did not make an impact in the women's madison final.


The pair, part of New Zealand's silver medallist women's team pursuit, took points on just three of the 12 sprints during the 120-lap race, finishing eighth with seven points, well out of contention.


Botha and Shearman got a point on the first sprint but sat back until sprint five, taking all five points to briefly move up to sixth. As others did the work, and Italy and Netherlands took a lap on the field for 20 points, the Kiwis were back in the pack, collecting just one more point on the 11th sprint.

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