U.S. picks up 27 medals at Masters Track Worlds

Sydney, Australia (October 24, 2009) – U.S. riders picked up 27 at the 2009 UCI Masters Track World Championships last week. The event, held in Sydney, Australia from Oct. 19-24, featured cyclists age 30 and above battling it out for world titles in the time trial, individual pursuit, scratch race, team time trial, sprint, and points race events.

The U.S. Team got off to a good start right from the get-go when Thomas O’Rourke (West Bloomfield, Mich.) broke his own world best time to take the gold medal ahead of Canadian Kenneth Orr in the men’s 75+ 500-meter time trial. The 1952 Olympian clocked a time of 42.81 to break his record of 43.11 which was set earlier this year at the USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships in Colorado Springs. Not too shabby for his very first time competing at a Masters World Championships.

In addition to O’Rourke’s time trial world title, four other American riders won gold medals in the 500-meter time trial. James Kloss (Huntington, Calif.) clocked a 39.929 across the 500 meters to grab a rainbow jersey in the men’s 70-74 time test. In the women’s 45-49 contest, Annette Williams (Kenmore, Wash.) recorded a 38.682 to grab the gold medal while Lorraine Jarvis (San Anselmo, Calif.) time trialed her way to a gold medal in the women’s 50-54 competition with a time of 39.682. Coming dangerously close to a world title in Sydney was Reid Schwartz (Chicago, Ill.) who grabbed a silver medal by clocking a 37.524 in the men’s 60-64 race against the clock.

On day two, the U.S. picked up a total of six medals in the individual pursuit contests. Annette Williams clocked a 2:34.236 to defend her title from a year ago and grab the top step of the podium ahead of Aussie Helen Griffiths. Like Williams, Thomas O’Rourke also claimed his second world title in as many days when he caught New Zealand’s Owen Duffy in the first lap of the men’s 75+ 2000-meter contest. In the men’s 70-74 race, James Kloss recorded a time of 2:40.224 to beat out German Otto Altweck for the rainbow jersey while Warren Keyser (Huntington Beach, Calif.) bested Aussie Ross Hodgson for the gold in the men’s 60-64 final. The men’s 50-54 competition saw two Americans on the podium: Lawrence Nolan (Fremont, Calif.) with the gold and James Host (Plainfield, Ill.) with the bronze.

Another seven medals were earned by Team USA in the scratch races on day three in Sydney. In the women’s 50-54 5000-meter scratch race, Annette Williams added a bronze to the two golds she earned earlier. Thomas O’Rourke continued his domination of the men’s 75+ age group with a gold medal in his 5000-meter scratch race while James Kloss picked up a bronze in the men’s 70-74 contest. In the men’s 55-59 7500-meter competition, Patrick Gellineau (Brooklyn, NY) rode his way to the third step on the podium while Lawrence Nolan grabbed the top step in the men’s 50-54 event. The podium for the men’s 45-49 contest featured two Americans: Bert Glennon (Sim Valley, Calif.) with the gold and Brent Kay (Temecula, Calif.) with the bronze.

In the sprint competitions, Americans brought home two more world titles. O'Rourke scored yet another rainbow jersey in the men's 75+ contest while James Kloss took the top honor in the men's 70-74 event. Picking up a silver in the sprint was Annette Williams in the women's 45-49 competition. Additionally, Lorraine Jarvis won the bronze medal round in the women's 50-54 group and Mark Rodamaker (Los Altos, Calif.) won the bronze in the men's 60-64 group.

Team USA closed out the UCI Masters Track World Championships with four more medals in the points races on the final day of competition. Annette Williams rode into another rainbow jersey with 40 points in the women's 45-49 event compared to the 25 earned by second-place finisher Makiko Hamada of Japan. Warren Keyser scored 30 points to grab the world title in the men's 60-64 competition while Lawrence Nolan accumulated 13 points to earn the top honor in the men's 50-54 group. Riding to a silver medal was Patrick Gellineau in the men's 55-59 competition.

Click here for complete results on the official website of the 2009 UCI Masters Track World Championships

Earlier in the summer, August 27-30, Americans converged on St. Johann, Austria, August 27-30 to compete for masters world titles on the road. And there was certainly no shortage of American medalists there either.

Seven Americans rode their way on the podium in the time trial. Michael Olheisher (Huntsville, Ala.) won the world title in the men’s 30-39 group while David Zimbelman (White Salmano, Wash.) also rode to gold, in the men’s 55-59 contest. Kenny Fuller (Coronoa del Mar, Calif.) was named world champion among men 60-64 and Ruth Clemence (Newport Beach, Calif.) took the top honors in the women’s 50-54 competition. In the men’s 40-44 contest, two Americans rode onto the podium: Christopher Lyman (Napa, Calif.) with the silver and Richard Feldman (Ketchum, Idaho) with the bronze. Additionally, Martha Iverson (Durango, Calif.) won the bronze medal in the women’s 60+ time test.

In the road race, Ruth Clemence improved upon her bronze medal time trial performance, beating out the rest of the women’s 50-59 field to grab the rainbow jersey. Earning silver medals in the road race were Martha Iverson in the women’s 60+ and Kenny Fuller in the men’s 59-61. Two bronze medals came compliments of Leslie Jennings, (Washington D.C.) in the women’s 30-39 contest, and Linda Schnepf, (Newport Beach, Calif.) in the women’s 50-59 race.

Click here for complete results from the 2009 UCI Masters Road World Championships on the event’s official website.

Photos top to Bottom- Annette Williams is all smiles after her 500-meter time trial; Lorraine Jarvis time trialed her way to a gold in the women's 50-54 contest. Photos courtesy of Ron Bonham of PhotoAction, www.photoaction.net.au