Since anna was kind enough not to compete at these champs, I felt like this would be the perfect opportunity to stage my come back!
This is to be my first international competition since the worlds in 2003, as you would understand I was feeling a bit anxious and nervous when I awoke.
After eating a full breaky, I decided to ride to the velodrome a few kilometres away to do a light warm up to stretch my legs a little, and to double check that I had all my equipment in order for the evenings event.
Eg, putting warm up gear on, pumping up tires, tightening the pedals, cleaning off the greasy finger marks on my bike etc
After warming up I rode back to my hotel and rested up.
The day just seemed so long.
Finally after giving in to my nerves I decided to ride to the track 2 hours prior to the event to prepare so I didn’t get rushed.
When I arrived I walked up on to the track to be greeted with slow, sleepy music.
This was a time where I wish I had one of those I pods!
During warm-up I started to get nervous, and my legs feel like jelly!
I noticed that I was starting to over warm up because of nerves!
Being out of competition for so long has made me forget how to control my energies and thoughts.
So I went down stairs out of the velodrome to get out of the noise and to get changed into my Australian skin suit.
Wow, I have missed wearing this!
It fitted as well as it did last year, and I was glad to be back in it, representing Australia again!
My mind started to clear instantly, and I felt ready to race.
Rolling around in the middle of the track with minutes to the start of my time trial, I was practising the count down and my breathing pattern for my start.
I had absolutely no idea what sort of time I would do, I was asked in an interview with SBS before hand and I just couldn’t guess, “around 36ish?”
I couldn’t stop yawning from nerves.
I didn’t care how I felt; I knew what I had to do.
Start powerful ‘and straight’, and accelerate all the way to the finish! – smooth style and technique.
Simple, give it everything I have got, and try and put on a pretty face for once!
Well every thing worked in the end ‘except for the pretty face bit!’
I looked in the paper the next morning to see a very large picture of me with my mouth wide open in the time trial!
Comparing to Anna, the only thing that changes on her face in the time trial is that she bites her lips when she starts, but no matter how hard I tried to look like a lady, that monster face just wanted to make its presents.
Anyways, back to the story, I crossed the line in the 500m time trial in 35.9sec!
Wow, all I can remember thinking is “thank god I broke the 36………............….and now I feel like throwing up!!!”
It was better then I expected to do!
I reported back to Marv (coach), he was very happy with the win and the time, it’s reasonably quick for me right now with the foundation I had for the start of this season.
Right, one down, two to go!
Once I got the time trial out of the road, I felt confident and more in control, I was now ready to race!
Next – the sprint!
Oh boy, I didn’t sleep to well last night.
It was a late night, and I always find it hard to recover the morning after from a time trial.
I had a head ache, my eyes had to be held open with match sticks and I had hay fever!
But I kept telling myself, it doesn’t matter how I feel – I have work to do!
Warm up, do 200m flying time trial and then look forward to going back to bed, hhhhm bed!
I completed my 200m qualifying Time Trial in 12.06sec.
I struggled in my wind up for the 200m fly but I still managed to get on top of my gear.
I would of liked to have gone just under 12 sec into high 11secs from expectations from last nights performances, but in the circumstances I was just happy I qualified fastest.
Afterwards I went straight home to sleep!
After 2 hours and 30mins of sleep, I felt so refreshed!
Head ache was gone, I felt alert and I was looking forward to going out there and having some fun, serious fun!
Because of the numbers, I was qualified straight through to semi finals up against Liz Georgouras (my room mate) from NSW.
First round, I was getting mental blanks while I was racing.
It was like I was in a daze when I realised I had to sprint with only half a lap to go!
I only just got Liz on the line, only just though!
I gave myself a scare that completely woke me up for the rest of the nights sprint racing.
Sean Eadie just gave me this look saying, “You awake Kez???”
I think I needed that, thanks LIZ!
That moment on I turned on the switch, I was thinking about practising my tactics and focus on using my weapon!
Everything worked perfectly; I worked through the rounds getting into the final with Katri Laike from New Zealand.
After watching her in her semis against Liz Williams her team mate from New Zealand, I noticed a familiar pattern in her tactics, so I planned to use that in my favour in the finals.
It was great to feel and see things work, my plans, tactics and timing!
I won both heats in a row which got me my second gold for the championships!
Next and lucky last – the keirin!
AAAAAACHOOOO!!
Yep, my sinuous and hay fever combined hit me this morning; I knew I should have turned that air con off!
I managed to get myself ready without waking up the whole floor with my constant nose blowing and sneezing!
After eating breakfast that I couldn’t taste, I hitched a ride on the team bus to the track to prepare for the keirin heats.
On arrival there was a strong possibility that we might not race heats because there were not enough starters, it could go straight to a final in the evening.
I got on my road bike and did a warm up just in case things changed, and I thought if I started getting active my nose might stop running like a tap!
After a few hours of discussions and decisions from the officials and team managers, it was decided that we would have 2 heats (top 3 through) and 1 final in the evening. (New Zealand entered a U/19 female which made up the required numbers for heats)
So I used this opportunity to pack what I didn’t need, for I was scheduled on a 7pm track departure to the airport after racing!
Still constantly sneezing and blowing my nose, Jenny a fellow competitor offered to take a couple of us back to her apartment to relax for the early afternoon instead of staying at the velodrome till racing starts 5 hours later.
I welcomed this change of location because it might be able to clear my sinuous up!
The only thing that could keep my sneezing under control was sitting back on the couch with my head tilted chewing on ice for the most part of the afternoon!
The time came where we had to go back to the track for the 2nd session of the day.
Warming up for the keirin was a lot better then I felt this morning, I could finally breathe but still had to ask a few people for extra tissues through out the night.
First up, heat 1 of the Keirin!
After a bit of mental rehearsing on a non complicated plan, I was ready to rumble!
I try not to get to nervous for this event because it is so unpredictable!
With Liz Georgouras taking the bike and myself sitting second wheel, I was able to control the field for the entire race.
Liz and I qualified 1, 2 for the final.
It was great team work and it's good practise, especially for Liz Georgouras who is learning about sprint and race tactics.
We had a good hour till the start of the final, and I was glad when I was finally on the start line.
BANG!
The gun went off and the keirin bike came past, everyone wanted the bike and I was aiming to get about 2nd or 3rd wheel!
I stayed out of trouble and opted to take 4th wheel instead which wasn’t too bad.
I was a little un easy with the 2 New Zealand girls riding 2 and 3, thinking that if they worked together they could really cause some trouble!!!
Katrin Laike was giving Liz Williams a little too much distance for my liking with 2 laps to go, but Belinda Goss (AUS) came under and closed it up quickly and before you know it, the bell is ringing with 1 lap to go.
Katri (NZL) and Liz (NZL) were drag racing each other from a lap and a ¼ to go, so I just waiting for the moment where I could commit a 100% effort because it was going to be hard work to come around 3 wide.
With ¾ lap to go, I gave it everything I had and past the girls down the back straight, and apparently won by a little bit.
I felt awesome in the legs, and I was able to get on top of my gear easily!
Gold medal number 3!!!
Racing therefore had finished for me, what a relief!
It was a mad rush to receive medals, pack bags, bikes and get changed all in 40 minutes!
I surprised myself, I was on a roll!
All packed and organised with 5 minutes to spare!
Shane Kelly, Ashley Hutchinson and I made it to the airport just in the nick of time.
We were checking into our flights with it on its final call!
I have never been so pushed for time!
I ran to make it to the gate and as I arrived it had closed but we were still able to get on board!
We flew back to Adelaide for the AIS camp.
Overall I had a great time, and I am very happy to be back on the bike and competing.
3 Gold’s all up which has qualified positions for the 2005 worlds in events 500m TT, Sprint, and Keirin.
It was a successful first international competition for season 2005
RESULTS:
Women's Time Trial
1 Kerrie Meares
(Australia)
35.979
2 Elizabeth Williams (New Zealand)
36.608
3 Katrie Laike
(New Zealand)
37.285
Women's Sprint
Semi Final Round 1
(Round 1)
1 Kerrie Meares
(Australia)
2 Liz Georgouras
(Australia)
(Round 2)
1 Katrie Laike
(New Zealand)
2 Elizabeth Williams (New Zealand)
Semi Final Round 2
(Round 1)
1 Kerrie Meares
(Australia)
2 Liz Georgouras (Australia)
(Round 2)
1 Katrie Laike
(New Zealand)
2 Elizabeth Williams (New Zealand)
Final for
3rd and 4th
1 Elizabeth Williams (Australia)
12.717 12.663
2 Liz Georgouras (Australia)
Final for 1st and 2nd
1 Kerrie Meares
(Australia)
12.663 12.480
2 Katrie Laike
(New Zealand)