Taiwan won four golds, five silvers and four bronzes at the Asian Track Cycling Championships in New Delhi from Wednesday last week to Monday.
Asian Games medalist Huang Ting-ying was the only Taiwanese elite cyclist to take home a medal, winning bronze in the women’s elimination.
Huang said she met her own expectations, particularly as the races are becoming more intense due to the upcoming Paris Olympics, which means ranking points are up for grabs.
Photo: Screen grab from Huang Ting-ying’s Facebook page
Winning bronze was a stepping stone toward her dream of competing in the Olympics, she added.
To secure a spot in the Games, Huang must also perform well in the competitions in Hong Kong next month and Canada in April.
Until then, she would be reviewing her racing performances, focusing on her training, working on her weaknesses and “cheerfully preparing for the next challenge,” Huang said.
The juniors won four gold medals: one each in the men’s team pursuit, the men’s omnium, the women’s scratch and the women’s elimination.
They took home silvers in the men’s scratch, the men’s individual pursuit, the women’s time trial, the women’s keirin and the women’s individual sprint, and bronze medals in the men’s team sprint, the men’s keirin and the women’s team sprint.
The junior team’s coach Lin Kun-hung said that his riders had performed outstandingly, considering they lacked experience in high-intensity track races and had no standard track arena to practice in.
The juniors battled a bit at first, but adjusted quickly, performing better as the championships went on, he said.
Everyone was high-spirited and they are hoping to succeed in next year’s competition, even those who did not win a medal, he added.
The championships were held in the Indira Gandhi Stadium, with nearly 500 athletes from 18 Asian nations competing, organizers said.
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