New Zealand compete in the women’s 4000m team pursuit.
New Zealand has claimed a silver medal in the women’s team pursuit at the Commonwealth Games after Ellesse Andrews rode to their rescue to ensure they could still compete.
A silver medal winner in the keirin at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, sprinter Andrews volunteered her services to the endurance team when Ally Wollaston was ruled out with an injury on the eve of the Games.
Wollaston crashed at the inaugural Tour de France Femmes and fractured her wrist, one day before she was set to leave for England.
After qualifying second at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London, the New Zealand quartet of Andrews, Bryony Botha, Michaela Drummond and Emily Shearman were well beaten by Australia in the gold medal race.
Andrews dropped away almost immediately, leaving Botha, Drummond and Shearman to slog it out against four Australian riders over the 4000m.
But the numerical disadvantage took its toll. The New Zealanders were down at every checkpoint and finished more than five seconds behind with Australia finishing strong to set a new Commonwealth Games record of 4:12.234.
Botha was part of the New Zealand team that also won a silver medal on the Gold Coast in 2018.
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