First cycling gold to Canada

Press, 7 August 1978, Page 30

First cycling gold to Canada

It was a day of rejoicing for Canadians as the experienced Jocelyn Lovell swept aside the opposition in splendid fashion to win Canada’s first cycling gold medal in the 1000 m time trial at the Argyll velodrome on Saturday (N.Z.) time). Lovell, Canada’s most successful cyclist in the last decade, recorded Imin 6sec to edge out the determined Australian, Greg Tucker, by o.96sec. Gordon Singleton (Canada) was third. Lovell, who was thirteenth in the Montreal Olympic time trial, has won 34 Canadian cycling titles in the last decade. He was a gold medallist in the 10 miles

track event at the 1970 Olympics and at 28 was thought to be past his best.

New Zealand’s representatives, considered to be medal prospects, finished well down. Mike Fabish was the best, filling seventh place with Imin 8.755. Anthony Cuff was eighth with imin 8.85 s and Mike Richards ninth.

However, there was consolation in that the first six competitors all bettered the Commonwealth Games record of Imin 8.695. The standard was very high and the three New Zealand riders were by no means out of their depth. There were 36 in the field.