Ally Wollaston wins Double Gold at Championships

Ally Wollaston has achieved double gold at the 2024 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The 23-year-old cyclist secured her first win in the elimination race earlier this week and followed up with another gold medal in the women’s omnium, becoming the first New Zealand cyclist to claim two world titles at the same championship.

Wollaston’s elimination race victory was a thrilling contest. She outpaced some of the best in the sport, including six-time world champion Lotte Kopecky from Belgium, in the final sprint. The elimination event started with 22 riders, with the last rider removed every two laps until only two remained. Wollaston edged out Italy’s Letizia Paternoster and the USA’s Jennifer Valente before clinching gold against Kopecky.

In the omnium, a multi-discipline event similar to a decathlon, Wollaston again demonstrated her skill and strategy. The omnium consists of four races: scratch, tempo, elimination, and points. After placing 10th in the scratch race, Wollaston dominated the tempo and elimination events, entering the final points race tied with Norway’s Anita Stenberg. Though Britain’s Jessica Roberts took an early lead by gaining a lap, Wollaston stayed focused, scoring in six of the eight sprints and winning the final double-points dash to secure her second gold.

Reflecting on her performance, Wollaston said, “I knew the form was there, but putting it together on omnium day is a different story. When Jess went for the lap, I doubted if I could hold on, but I stayed calm and trusted my sprint.”

This remarkable feat places Wollaston in elite company. She joins Alison Shanks and Aaron Gate as Kiwis with two world titles. If she wins a third, she will match New Zealand’s men’s sprint team, who achieved three world victories.