Share

Dygert wins pursuit title in new WR - now for Olympics

Berlin - American cycling star Chloe Dygert won the women's pursuit title at the track world championships in a new world record time on Saturday, but admitted she was "bummed" not to have gone faster.

Showing improving form as the Tokyo 2020 Games swing into view, the 23-year-old cross-discipline champion trimmed more than three seconds off the old 3km time set in 2018, winning the world title in 3:16.937.

The American pulverised German rival Lisa Brennauer, who came in over six seconds adrift.

"Today I really wanted to get a '14' (3:14) so I'm a little bummed," she told cycling website Velonews.

"My all-time goal, I want to break 3:10. I think there are some huge gains to be made."

The women's 3km pursuit is not on the Olympic roster, but Dygert aims to race the team pursuit in Tokyo as well as the road race individual time-trial.

"Everyone is going to make gains before the Olympics so we have to prepare for that. We cannot assume things. I've got to work harder than ever."

Dygert, 23, who is coached by three-time Olympic gold medallist Kristin Armstrong, stunned the road race circuit by beating Dutch duo Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten to take gold in the world time-trial in Yorkshire last September.

Earlier on Saturday Germany's Lea Sophie Friedrich was given a standing ovation on her victory lap at the Berlin Velodrome after she won the women's 500m time trial.

It was the 20-year-old's second gold of the championships after she also helped Germany win the women's team event on the opening day.

"I tried so, so hard and in the end it was a very fast time," said Friedrich.

The Netherlands won a fifth gold of the championships in the women's 30km relay event, the Madison, a race which featured a spectacular crash where Poland's Daria Pikulik was accidentally run over by a Chinese racer after a fall.

Dutch pair veteran Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters clinched the marathon event, named after the Madison Square Garden venue in New York, where the convoluted touch-and-go tag-relay, further complicated by points being allocated every 10 laps, debuted.

Frenchman Benjamin Thomas emerged as the winner of the men's multi-discipline Omnium event beating Dutch star Jan Willem van Schip and Britain's Matthew Walls.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1814 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE