This slogan featured on signs from enthusiastic spectators at the penultimate night of the UCI Track Cycling Championships in Melbourne.
They witnessed Anna Meares smash the world record to win her fourth 500 metre time trial crown and her second gold medal of the 2012 UCI Track World Championships.
It was the tenth career world title for the 28 year old who won her first senior gold medal on the same track in the same event at the 2004 world titles.
The win is her second of the week and comes after her success in Saturday’s keirin. She also claimed bronze in the sprint and teamed with Kaarle McCulloch to place second in the team sprint.
“This track has been so good to me in the past and I haven’t ridden a time trial in 18months,” Meares said after claiming her fourth medal from four events. “I knew tonight was going to be special, I did forget how much (it hurt)… the old legs were hurting afterwards.
“My goodness I couldn’t believe how loud this crowd was for me tonight.”
Her previous world time trial crowns were won in 2004, 2007 and 2010 and she equals the record of ten world titles in women’s sprint events held by retired French track legend Felicia Ballanger who coincidentally was at this week’s event to witness Meares ride.
“Its something special [to win] my 10th world title in the event where it all began for me eight years ago,” said Meares who dedicated the win to her first coach, Ken ‘Reg’ Tucker.
“Reg Tucker was the first coach who ever saw a spark of talent in me. I wasn’t always good at this sport when I first started at 11 years of age. I was generally a competitor making up the numbers but he saw something in me; he called me the ‘Ugly Duckling’ but he’s never doubted me in any way.
Courtesy of Cycling Australia, Monday, 9 April 2012
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