TRACK CYCLING BEGINS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26032, 8 February 1950, Page 6

TRACK CYCLING BEGINS

HEATS IN SPRINT EVENTS

TWO NEW ZEALANDERS IN SEMI-FINAL

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 7. Four champions, one of them the world’s champion, to-night reached the semi-finals of the British Empire Games 1000 metres sprint cycling championship. They were Sid Patterson. the world’s champion from Australia. Russell Mockridge, the Australian champion, Graham Avery, the New Zealand champion, and the brilliant New Zealand junior champion, Don Olive, aged 19. In the semi-finals to-morrow evening. Patterson will meet Olive and Mockridge will meet Avery. The events were conducted at the first track session of the Empire Games cycling events at Western Springs Stadium. The crowd was very large, an official estimate being 25,000. In addition to the .sprint, the first round of the 4000 metres individual pursuit championship was decided, the qualifiers for the semi-finals on Thursday being W. Hamilton, of Scotland, C. Cartwright, runner-up in the world championship last year, of England, Mockridge and Lock (New Zealand). Cartwright performed the extraordinary feat of lapping W. Hamilton of Canada in the most Brilliant exhibition of pursuit riding. Results were:—

1000 METRES SPRINT First round (defeated riders again compete in reselectlon heats; winners of reselection final and winners of the first round qualify for the quarter-final). Times for final furlong: S. Patterson (Australia), 12.5 sec, beat L. Atkinson (Canada); T. Godwin (England), 13sec, beat C. Bazzano (Australia); R. Mockridge (Australia) 12.8 sec, beat A. W. Stonex (New Zealand); K. Bennett (Rhodesia), 13.2 sec, beat R. Geldard (England); G. Averv (New Zealand), 12.8 sec, beat R. Oland (Canada); D. Olive (New Zealand), 12.9 sec, beat E. Evans (Rhodesia). Reselection heats: Bazzano, 14.1 sec, beat Atkinson; Stonex, 14.2 sec, beat Millman; Evans, 14.1 sec, beat Oland. Reselection Final.—Bazzano, 13.7 sec, beat Stonex. 2000 METRES SPRINT Quarter-finals.—First round (from and including the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, the riders must suffer two defeats before being eliminated): Patterson, 12.9 sec, beat Stonex; Avery, 12.9 sec, beat Bazzano; Olive, 12.8 sec. beat Godwin; Mockridge. 12.8 sec. beat Bennett. Quarter-finals.—Second round: Olive, 12.8 sec. beat Godwin; Mockridge. 13sec. beat Bennett: Patterson, 13.8 sec. beat Stonex; Avery, 13sec, beat Bazzano. Thursday's semi-finalists are: Olive, Patterson, Mockridge, and Avery. 4000 METRES (Winner first three heats qualify for semifinals) First Heat.—J. Hamilton (Scotland), smin 26.75ec beat L. Lock (New Zealand) smin 29.65ec. Second Heat.—Cartwright (England) lapped W. Hamilton (Canada) in smin 43sec. Cartwright was automatically credited with the fastest heats time. Third Heat. Mockridge (Australia), smin 40see, beat Branfield (Rhodesia), smin 48.1 sec. Fourth Heat.—Campbell (Wales). Time, smin 40.4 sec. *