‘Goosebumps’: Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold rush begins

Australia’s women’s 4000m Team Pursuit quartet blew the competition away as they went on to win the gold medal and set a new Commonwealth Games record at the Lee Valley velodrome in London.

Their extraordinary performance came after Jessica Gallagher secured Australia’s first gold medal of the Games when she took out the Women’s Tandem B Sprint with pilot Caitlin Ward.

The celebrations continued in the men’s team sprint where the Aussies smashed England by more than one second to collect the gold medal with a new Commonwealth Games record.

The trio of Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer were on fire and stretched out a big lead after being neck and neck at the 250m mark.

Australia also took the bronze in the men’s 4000m Team Pursuit.

But the day belonged to the women’s pursuit team as they dominated New Zealand in the final to win by more than five seconds.

Their time of 4:12.234 shaved another two seconds off the Commonwealth record they had set earlier in the day during the qualifying heats.

The Australian foursome of Georgia Baker, Maeve Plouffe, Sophie Edwards and Chloe Moran were under huge pressure after coming into the event as the red hot favourites. They responded to the pressure in devastating fashion.

Their performance left Aussie cycling champion Scott McGrory feeling a bit emotional as he commentated the event for Channel 7.

“That was the most united performance we have seen from a women’s team pursuit in a number of years for Australia,” he said.

“What an incredible outfit. We have seen an incredible outfit. We have seen an incredible performance out there tonight.”

He said the performance gave him goosebumps.

“These are the moments that define their careers,” he said.

“These moments will carry them through the lows that come with being a human being, but also a full-time athlete. These are incredible moments. I will look back at this and feel the feelings of when I won my gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. It takes me back to the moment. It gives me goosebumps.

“It is incredibly special and I’m thrilled to see such success and that buoyancy from the young team.”

Earlier Gallagher started the gold rush when she won the final of the Women’s Tandem B Sprint by winning both races against Scotland’s Aileen McGlynn.

Australia’s first medal of the Games was a bronze medal won by Matthew Hauser in the individual sprint distance triathlon event in a controversial finish that saw an official protest made.

Originally published as ‘Goosebumps’: Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold rush begins