It’s taken just two days for Para cyclist Nicole Murray to progress from promising to two-time world champion.
Just 24 hours on from her gold medal winning C5 scratch race in Paris, Murray has stood on top of the world again in the C5 Omnium – an event that includes a flying 200m, 500m time trial, individual pursuit and scratch race with points added together from the four disciplines.
As part of the Omnium, that finished on Monday (NZ time), Murray won the gold in the scratch race and also a bronze in the individual pursuit.
The Waikato-based 30-year-old, who competed at the Tokyo Paralympics has come on leaps and bounds from that experience but that doesn’t mean she saw world championship glory coming.
Becoming world champion in the scratch race remains the highlight for Murray because it illustrated her all-around improvement.
“Being able to keep my head in the race.” she said. “Being fit enough to be able to make clear decisions without just trying to work hard to stay on the wheels.
“It was really cool.”
World championship success in Paris has given Murray extra motivation to return to the French city in 2024 and hunt down Paralympics medals.
“This week has given me a fire to train harder when I get home, just a lot of motivation to work hard in the things I could have done better this competition,” Murray said.
The Omnium event has been kind to the Kiwis with Devon Briggs – who was on world championship debut – landing a silver medal in the men’s C4.
“Amazing,” Briggs said of his pair of silver medals. “We had a bloody good run. Now, I can’t wait to give my mum and dad a really big hug when I get home.”
At just 18, the Cambridge-based Briggs has a huge future in front of him and like Murray, he has goals of gold on his mind for Paris in 2024.
For another Kiwi at the world championships, just competing was an achievement.
Anna Taylor has endured a torrid run, battling illness, in what she described as a tough year but she still managed to bag herself two bronze medals at the world championships.
Taylor secured the bronze in the C4 Omnium and along the way picked up the bronze in the 500m time trial.
“The confidence in placing as well as I did in the form that I’m in, I’m looking forward to just being healthy and training well.”
“It’s been an amazing week,” Ellington said. “To come to Paris with the Games here in 2024.
“To see the Velodrome and get to ride on it, to do the whole flight path – coming from New Zealand it’s so far.”
