(Worlds journal below, click on photo's to enlarge)
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Hi There,
Sorry this email has taken a while for me to write but I have been very
busy as I am sure you could imagine since the World Titles finished on May
31st.
I will take you back to the start of it all and give you a bit of an
insight into my experience.
This email turned out to be much much longer then I had thought.
Had a lot
to tell you obviously so I put it into chapters thinking that might make it
easier if you want to read it a bit at a time.
DEPARTURE
On May 23rd we left Adelaide and traveled over to Melbourne.
Racing began on the 26th however I was not competing in the women's kierin which was held on Thursday the 27th so my first race was not until the 28th which was the women's sprint.
I had a few relatively light days leading up to racing.
There was one incident on the track where I was riding on the bottom of the
track and the Ukraine pursuit team was coming around the track doing an
effort.
I did see them and so I stayed at the bottom of the track.
The first two riders went around me no worries but the last two riders were not looking and hit me from behind.
One hit me in the ham string and the other in my arm.
Believe me I have some great bruises to show for it but luckily I didn't fall off and those who did were not injured.
Shaken but not deterred
I got up and finished my pre race day drill.
Prior to the commencement of racing my room mate Kate Bates had a dream and
she told me about.
She said that she saw me win and saw the medal ceremony.
I wasn't going to say anything but I hope that she did not just ginks me.
Nah, it was nice.
Lets hope it comes true I thought to myself. Wouldn't that
be nice!
I have a bit of a thing that I have done at every World Championship that I
have competed at and that is painting my nails with the Australian flag.
Ryan Baileys sister Kristine taught me how to do this when we both went to
Junior Worlds together and I have turned it into a bit of a tradition for
me.
SPRINTS DAY ONE
QUALIFYING
Racing came about very quickly!
Friday morning was the qualifying for the sprint, I was seeded 13th in a field of 21.
I liked this as 13 is my lucky number.
I rolled up onto the track and rolled out to a wonderful applause from the crowd.
It was
amazing.
I felt good in the 200m time trial and my pre trailing of gears throughout this year paid off as I rode a PB time of 11.43 seconds.
As there was a few
girls to come I had to wait to see where I would be seeded for the
sprinting rounds.
As the girls got through the order I realized I may actually be set up with a good seeding.
By the time the second last rider (Natalia Tslingskya Belarus) rode out to do her time I was very happy with having qualified at least third but was very surprised to find that I was now second fastest.
Finally it was the defending world champions turn to qualify and true to
her ranking she qualified fastest in 11.3 seconds.
I was very happy with this result considering in 2002 I did not get to ride
the sprints at the world titles and in 2003 I qualified 10th fastest.
I won my first round sprint and got to go back to the hotel to relax,
shower, eat ,sleep etc and get ready to race again that evening.
Keeping in
mind that by me getting into the top 10 meant an Olympic spot had been
qualified for the women sprint and time trial for Australia.
I won my round two race although not feeling to flash in the legs and this
put me into being no worse then 8th place, meaning the Olympic spots were
qualified! YAY!
I was so happy with this and almost felt as though a lot of pressure had been lifted off my shoulders and I think it showed in my quarter final race against American Jenny Reed where I progressed through to the semi final with a 2-0 win.
Job done for Thursday. Now I had until Saturday night to
race the semi and finals.
SPRINTS DAY TWO
Saturday was a very boring day in the lead up to racing which was perfect.
Slept until 10am, ate breaky. Had a massage and a stretch before lunch
followed by another sleep after lunch and by that time it was time to go
and get ready to leave for warm up.
The crowd was pretty much jam packed Saturday night and they were a very
vocal crowd really getting into the racing and supporting us Aussies.
My
boyfriend Mark was there in the front row on the home straight and although
I didn't show much emotion or contact when I was riding around in between
races I saw the jubilation on his face and the pleasure he shared with
everyone in seeing me succeed as the rounds went by.
Also Kerrie was in the commentary box which every time I looked up when I was on that start line, I saw her face and she smiled nervously and nodded at me and when I rode round after my races again like with Mark I saw her jubilation and I guess almost sigh of relief.
She was very nervous for me. he he he.
SEMI FINALS
My semi finals saw me up against Canadian Lori-ann Muenzer.
History shows that we had previously met twice.
Once at the Commonwealth Games in 2002
where she easily defeated me in 2 rounds, and again at the Sydney World Cup
in 2004 just 2 weeks prior to these world titles where I won in 3 rather
tough rounds!
In round one I mad a few mistakes and I was defeated. In round two I rode a
much smarter race and I just (and I mean just) won by a photo finish where
I had won by the width of a pencil line. phew.
Now one a piece and vying
for a place to ride off for the gold and silver medals we lined up for the
third and final time.
Nervous was I but controlled. I rode a very tactical race that saw Lori-ann struggle with the big gear she rode.
I won by a bike length and was through to the final for the gold. Boy was I happy and the roar from the crowd when I won and went through was enough to give me goose bumps!
Lori-ann was a great competitor and raised my hand to the crowd after the race.
I was very appreciative of her actions and I wished her all the best for her bronze medal ride off.
So history now reads that Lorain and I have a record of
winning 1-2 respectively. I look forward to more racing with her!
FINAL
Up against Russia's Svetlana Grankovskya.
35 years of age.
She has two World titles to her credit already and was vying for her third.
I was ready to race.
I was truly enjoying myself and loving being in the environment
where the crowd was just so loud!
Round 1.
I tried a tactic that I have never tried before but had it explained to me by my coach prior to the days racing.
It involved ducking under the opponent from the top of the track at a very sharp angle.
Going
straight down a wall of wood sounds pretty scary..... You should try doing
it... far out. It is like one of those scary roller coasters that you are
petrified of going on but something makes you go on it anyway.
I pulled the
move off well but didn't fully commit to it and I held the world champ off
until the final straight where she got over me in the end by a half a
wheel.
Beaten in one round so far, I was still happy and was ready to go do
something again in round 2!
Round 2.
I went back to my usual and very successful stalling and blocking tactic and again it worked for me this time around.
I used the track to my advantage and rode Grankovskya on the track to her disadvantage and I won.
Wow. I won one!!!
It was like when Rocky Balboa finally cut Ivan in Rocky four.
I realized she can really be beaten! I was excited and enjoying myself.
We went back and talked more tactics and before I knew I found
myself up on the line for round 3 and the nerves were out in force.
Round 3.
Round three was kind of a race I would rather forget because I
feel I didn't really ride a very tactical race however after looking at it
on video I realized that my tactics were good but my application was a
little late.
I matched the world champion for the kick and to Grankovskya's
credit she rode me perfectly and gave me a nice little hook which killed my
run to the line.
That was ok.
I guessed it was a bit of payback for the hook I threw her in Round 2.
When I crossed the line it was a weird
feeling.
Odd in the fact that I had to loose to win the silver medal.
I was focused
on winning that when I lost I felt somewhat disappointed until I realised
hey, You won the silver medal and pushed the world champion to three
rounds.
The crowd was great to.
They still cheered me even though I
lost.... but won the silver.
The medal presentation was great!
Kerrie was there playing photographer but got it all on video on her digital camera which was pretty cool, and some nice photos too which I do have to get copies off of her.
I was very proud to have won the silver and I was proud of how I had ridden and felt like the hard work all year really was paying off.
When you look at my results from
last year where I got 10th in the sprint to this year where I won the
silver medal, that really is something to be proud of.
After I went back to my room mate and told her that her dream didn't happen.
She replied in saying,"Well maybe it was me and not you....?"
We laughed and went on with what we were doing.
It took a bit for me to wind down from the night of racing so I had a late
night massage which our masseuse was kind enough to do for me and ate some
late dinner before going to bed, to get ready for the time trial tomorrow
afternoon.
Sunday May 30th.
World championship Women's 500m TT.
MORNING AFTER
Well, when I woke up this morning I was rather worried as I honestly felt as though I had had the biggest night out on the town and on the alcohol.
I woke up with a headache, a dry mouth, felt queasy and felt very groggy...funny considering I have not had a drink of alcohol since January 17th.
Guessing this was from the big night of racing and effort and me being
somewhat dehydrated.
All was good though.
I had some breaky and a stretch and just could not get myself going.
By lunch time I felt a little better but still felt queasy.
When I got to the track the team doc gave me something to help my feeling
queasy which worked a trick.
I warmed up a little longer today and started
a little slower which would help how I was feeling after a big night of
racing last night.
I did my special warm up for time trial which included rollers, stair runs
and hops and our dynamic warm up used in the gym and I was feeling good.
I was the 10th rider off in a field of 17.
PEP TALK
Prior to my race Marv (coach) came up to me and started giving me tactics of what to do in the time trial, jokingly of course he said,"Now we put your bike in the gate with the left pedal up.
Once the clock
counts down you push on your left foot and then with your right foot and go
real hard for two laps."
I said in reply,"Do you think I should take some height?"
Which should not even be thought of in a time trial,laughing he replied,
"Go high in the bends and low in the straights"
Was very funny and relaxed me a lot!
This came about because for the past two days we had been going through
tactics before every race and that's why this conversation came about!
Tactics are not even needed in a time trial.
he he he he he he!
RACE TIME
Ok a few riders had ridden already and it was up to Simona Krupicaite of
Lithuania (another girl who has improved enormously in the last 12 months)
and she rode a great time of 34.7 seconds.
When I saw this I knew that was going to be a medal or close to it going on where that sort of time would of place in the previous years.
I saw the time and thought to myself, oh,
this means there is going to be some very fast times today... not even
thinking that I could be one of them though.
I was up before I knew it and as I walked up the crowd was relatively quiet
and there were a few, "GO ANNA'S" come out of the crowd.
Marv and the mechanic Jock Bullen (who is a great bloke) locked my bike in the gate and the clock began to start counting down from 50 seconds.
I locked me feet in and did up my straps and then the announcer announced me and the crowd roared so load, I knew they would be behind me all the way.
One beep and
Marv looked at me and said, "30 seconds" I looked at him and nodded and he
was gone and now it was just me and the track and that clock.
Another beep meant 10 seconds to go and the crowd grew very very silent.
My
mouth was dry, I could not swallow.
A sequence off beeps on the second from 5 seconds down began and I went
through my breathing routine and timed the gate to a tee and got away to a
perfect start.
The crowd was so loud that I could not even here my coach yelling in my ear from the inside of the track as I went past him as he always does in every time trial I have ridden.
I went through the first bend and the crowd was defining as I went down the back straight.
As I came around the second bend into the home straight I dropped into my time trial position and pedaled as hard as I have ever pedaled before.
I crossed the time strip at the start finish line (which takes everyone's lap splits) and I was up.
I knew I was up because as I entered the third bend the crowds noise stepped up another ten notches I swear and I didn't think it possible as they were very loud as it was.
They cheered me all the way home and when I crossed the finish line I was trying to look around to see my time but I couldn't but I knew I was fastest at the time because of the crowd.
As
I rolled into the back straight I got a good look at the score board and it
read Anna Meares AUS 34.342seconds!
AFTER THOUGHTS
Well, I was gob smacked and so happy.
That was a huge pb for me.
Here are
my previous PB's:
Altitude: 34.59 seconds (Mexico World Cup March 2004)
Sea Level: 35.039seconds (World Titles Stuttgart Germany July 2003)
This time was significant because it is much faster at altitude due to the
lesser air resistance so in sea level terms I have improved a lot.
In terms
of times 0.2 seconds is still a lot over 500m and I was and still am
wrapped!
When I got off my bike I went and gave Marv the biggest
hug as it was also
because of all the hard work he had put in too training me that got me this
far.
WAITING
I rolled down on the rollers for a bit after a quick interview with SBS as
a few of the girls rode off. I was watching very keenly.
At last years worlds 34.5 was on the board and Natalia Tslingskya from
Belarus, the defending World Champion came out and rode 34.1 so I knew it
was not in the bag yet.
I had to stop rolling on the rollers cause I was almost causing myself to
crash watching the girls race around so I went and sat in the pits until
the race had finished.
I watch Jiang from China, the current World Record holder with a time of 34.000 seconds ride.
She was faster then me in the first lap and honestly I thought, oh great, the faster times had started already.
But to my surprise she died in the final lap and came home slower then me.
I did breathe a sigh of relief there!
When it was down to only the last two riders I was so happy, cause I was
thinking, YEAH!
I have at least got the bronze.
Nancy Contrearez of Mexico was off and she didn't ride a faster time and I though, YEAH!
I at least got the silver!
Then it was down to the last girl, Natalia.
I held my breath literally as she started and I could not look at the
clock.
I looked for the half way split and I saw that she was down.
Again I held my breath and didn't look as she crossed the line the final time.
I relied purely on the crowd and my team mates and I knew by the roar of the crowd that it was mine and I could not help myself.
The only thing I could
do was hold my head in my hands and cry.
Kerrie came running down from the commentary box an gave me the biggest hug
and at that time I was crying hard and loud.
I could not believe.
All this time I had been chasing that rainbow jersey and now it was mine!
I raised
my head to many flashes of news cameras and TV cameras and I stood to
acknowledge the crowd for their unbelievable support and they cheered for
me it was wonderful.
Still I couldn't hold back the tears and I gave Kerrie another hug!
I was so glad she was there!
I got to do a victory lap and I rode up to the crowd
and got the Aussie
flag and rode a lap enjoying everything from:
The crowd cheering real loud.
Showing off the Aussie flag
Wiping my mascara that was running down my cheeks with my tears of joy
and most of all going up for a kiss and a hug with my boyfriend Mark.
We both have made many sacrifices this year for me to get here and it has
not been easy living apart but that's what kind of guy he is.
He has been
such great support and he has played every possible role imaginable from
psychologist to counselor to financial broker to encourager to anything
else imaginable.
I was glad to involve him in my win some how and very
grateful for his love and support!
After I did my lap (or two or three he he he), I had lots of media to talk
to and then I could sit back a bit and reflect on what rally just happened.
Oh my god!
I am WORLD CHAMPION.
Just thinking that brought tears to my eyes!
Then I saw my room mate and she came up to me and said....."I told you I my dream was right." I just cried. I was very emotional.
MEDAL CEREMONY
The medal ceremony was really something.
I was telling myself, Don't cry, Don't cry, Don't cry and I didn't until they gave me the flowers.
Darn
flowers.
Then we turned to see the Aussie flag raised above all others and than national anthem played while the crowd cheered and sang.
It really was something I will never ever forget!
The tears were so hard to hold back and after a brief time I could not hold them back any more but I am told by many who watched it on TV that it was great to see someone's passion show through and a lot of people had a bit of a cry with me that afternoon.
On the big screen while the anthem was playing they showed me on half of it and my ride and celebrations after.
It was beautiful. Really beautiful.
I
don't know how else to describe it!
After more media interviews and photos etc, I had to eventually put a coat
on so I could leave the arena.
CELEBRATIONS BEGIN
I went back to my hotel to hugs and more tears from my room mates and
...... dadatada.....a lovely bottle of champagne!
We popped it open and had a glass and it was lovely!
We went out to dinner and out to a bar after for a few drinks before returning to pack to leave the next morning.
I had had the best night of my life and I will remember
it for a long long time to come.
Going home was something in itself.
It was pretty crazy and I only had 7 days with family and friends and despite the pressure of the media that the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP bought I think I handled it all well.
Got a bit much at one stage but we got through. Poor mum.
The amount of messages she took from people ringing up at home was startling.
She was almost going to charge me for her being my secretary... lucky she was joking.
I had a great time with Mark and my family and his family and our friends
at home and now I am back in Adelaide training again and getting back into
the swing of things.
It feels a bit surreal being world champion.
The best
way for me to explain it is this.
I feel as though I have been chasing this world title for so long, that now
I have it, it almost seems like I am still chasing it.
I really was not expecting it yet, but in saying that I am extremely proud to be WORLD CHAMPION and SPRINT SILVER MEDALIST because I have worked very hard and made many sacrifices and believe that I have earnt it.
Just goes to show
that with hard work, sacrifice, effort, commitment and all the things like
that, that dreams really do come true, especially when they are most
unexpected.
ALL IMPORTANT THANK YOU'S
I want to say thank you to my Boyfriend Mark, My coach Martin Barras,
and my
former coach Ken Tucker as I believe what he taught me and instilled in me
over the 6 year he was my coach have given me the best possible base for my
step up to the next level.
I want to thank my parents for their support which has been their since day one in the sacrifices they made for me in the pursuit of my dreams and also Marks parents Del and Alan for their love and support.
I would also like to thank my manager Justin Hogan for putting
up with me and being so supportive and caring of me. Thank you!
Thank you to my brother Scott for keeping me sane with our regular pizza
and wrestling nights back home and your support (yes I am a wrestling fan)
and to my big sister Tracey, thank you for being there for me when I needed
to talk whether it be one in the afternoon or one in the morning.
You are
both unbelievable people and I love you both very much!
Thank you to Kerrie as well.
For what she has been through this year, she has been there for me every moment.
To call up and have a chat when I am lonely, to have a cry when it got too much, to have a laugh when I needed one.
She was always checking up on me all year especially at competition.
After every race there was always a text or two or three or four waiting
for me from Kerrie wanting to know how I went and she always was happy for
me for my results this year.
Her support of having been there at worlds for
me was also something I am grateful for so to Kerrie, thank you and I hope
that your injury heals and you get back on top and I look forward to
competing with you and traveling and rooming etc with you again one day
soon.
I would like to thank my sponsors, Bolle', Musashi, Multiplex, Ian Weigh Motors Rockhampton, Avanti, Las
helmets, Queensland Academy of Sport, AIS and all those companies/businesses and people who have supported me in the past and
present.
Without your support the road for me to achieve would have been
much rougher and longer!
I would love to have all of your support through to the Olympic Games which
I know I will have so be sure to email me and keep in touch.
Wow, this email really is very long. Sorry.
Thanks again
Anna Meares
500M TT WORLD CHAMPION
1 Anna Meares (Australia) 19.483 (2) 34.342 (52.413km/h)
2 Yonghua Jiang (China) 19.398 (1) 34.675 (51.910km/h)
3 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) 19.747 (5) 34.788 (51.741km/h)
4 Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands) 19.567 (3) 34.859 (51.636km/h)
5 Natallia Tsylinskaya (Bielorussia) 19.693 (4) 34.913 (51.556km/h)
6 Cuihua Jiang (China) 19.793 (7) 34.953 (51.497km/h)
7 Tamilla Abassova (Russia) 20.059 (9) 35.193 (51.146km/h)
8 Elisa Frisoni (Italy) 19.897 (8) 35.250 (51.063km/h)
9 Nancy Contreras (Mexico) 19.764 (6) 35.313 (50.972km/h)
10 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 20.261 (14) 35.360 (50.904km/h)
11 Lori-Ann Muenzer (Canada) 20.154 (11) 35.454 (50.770km/h)
12 Clara Sanchez (France) 20.097 (10) 35.678 (50.451km/h)
13 Tanya Lindenmuth (USA) 20.210 (12) 35.794 (50.287km/h)
14 Antonella Bellutti (Italy) 20.222 (13) 35.815 (50.258km/h)
15 Susan Panzer (Germany) 20.296 (15) 35.973 (50.037km/h)
16 Evgenia Radanova (Bulgaria) 21.559 (16) 37.741 (47.693km/h)
17 Anastasia Tchulkova (Russia) 21.639 (17) 38.010 (47.355km/h)
1 Svetlana Grankovskaya (Russia) 0.11.339 (63.497km/h)
2 Anna Meares (Australia) 0.11.450 (62.882km/h)
3 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) 0.11.452 (62.871km/h)
4 Natallia Tsylinskaya (Bielorussia) 0.11.462 (62.816km/h)
5 Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands) 0.11.472 (62.761km/h)
6 Lori-Ann Muenzer (Canada) 0.11.527 (62.462km/h)
7 Tamilla Abassova (Russia) 0.11.534 (62.424km/h)
8 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 0.11.559 (62.289km/h)
9 Jennie Reed (USA) 0.11.569 (62.235km/h)
10 Cuihua Jiang (China) 0.11.612 (62.004km/h)
11 Clara Sanchez (France) 0.11.621 (61.956km/h)
12 Tanya Lindenmuth (USA) 0.11.646 (61.823km/h)
13 Yonghua Jiang (China) 0.11.666 (61.717km/h)
14 Susan Panzer (Germany) 0.11.671 (61.691km/h)
15 Daniela Larreal (Venezuela) 0.11.770 (61.172km/h)
16 Elisa Frisoni (Italy) 0.11.840 (60.810km/h)
17 Oxana Grishina (Russia) 0.11.843 (60.795km/h)
18 Katrin Meinke (Germany) 0.11.855 (60.733km/h)
19 Szilvia Szabolcsi (Hungary) 0.11.941 (60.296km/h)
20 Nancy Contreras (Mexico) 0.11.981 (60.095km/h)
21 Iryna Yanovych (Ukraine) 0.12.083 (59.587km/h)
22 Anastasia Tchulkova (Russia) 0.12.264 (58.708km/h)
First round - May 28, 2004
Heat 1
1 Svetlana Grankovskaya (Russia) 12.540 (57.416km/h)
2 Katrin Meinke (Germany)
Heat 2
1 Anna Meares (Australia) 12.315 (58.465km/h)
2 Oxana Grishina (Russia)
Heat 3
1 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) 12.146 (59.278km/h)
2 Elisa Frisoni (Italy)
Heat 4
1 Natallia Tsylinskaya (Bielorussia) 12.107 (59.469km/h)
2 Daniela Larreal (Venezuela)
Heat 5
1 Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands) 11.993 (60.035km/h)
2 Susan Panzer (Germany)
Heat 6
1 Lori-Ann Muenzer (Canada) 12.077 (59.617km/h)
2 Yonghua Jiang (China)
Heat 7
1 Tamilla Abassova (Russia) 12.014 (59.930km/h)
2 Tanya Lindenmuth (USA)
Heat 8
1 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 12.141 (59.303km/h)
2 Clara Sanchez (France)
Heat 9
1 Jennie Reed (USA) 13.015 (55.320km/h)
2 Cuihua Jiang (China) DSQ
Heat 1
1 Svetlana Grankovskaya (Russia) 13.027 12.547
2 Oxana Grishina (Russia)
Heat 2
1 Anna Meares (Australia) 11.917 12.348
2 Jennie Reed (USA)
Heat 3
1 Lori-Ann Muenzer (Canada) 12.206 12.192
2 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) 12.298
Heat 4
1 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 12.520 12.030
2 Natallia Tsylinskaya (Bielorussia) DNF 12.216
Semi finals
Heat 1
1 Svetlana Grankovskaya (Russia) 12.261 12.907
2 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) REL
Heat 2
1 Anna Meares (Australia) 11.836 12.06
2 Lori-Ann Muenzer (Canada) 12.083
Bronze medal final
1 Lori-Ann Muenzer (Canada) 11.866 11.934
2 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain)
Gold medal final
1 Svetlana Grankovskaya (Russia) 11.620 11.981
2 Anna Meares (Australia) 12.065
5-8 ride
1 Jennie Reed (USA) 12.468 (57.747km/h)
2 Oxana Grishina (Russia)
3 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
DNS Natallia Tsylinskaya (Bielorussia)
9-12 ride
1 Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands) 12.167 (59.176km/h)
2 Katrin Meinke (Germany)
3 Daniela Larreal (Venezuela)
4 Tamilla Abassova (Russia)