Glaetzer, Richardson win opening keirin heats at Games

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Glaetzer, Richardson win opening keirin heats at Games

*********** sprinters Matt Glaetzer and Matt Richardson want to share the first-division prize in the race known as track cycling’s lottery.

Glaetzer and Richardson won their opening-round heats on Saturday in the keirin, with the remaining three rounds to be decided on Sunday’s final day at the Paris Olympics.

The six-rider event is notorious for unpredictability. The only time at the Olympics that a country has had two riders on the podium was British great Sir Chris Hoy winning gold and Ross Edgar claiming silver in Beijing.

Asked about possibly finishing first and second, Glaetzer said: “That would be a dream, incredible. It’s possible, but there’s a long way to go.

This is Glaetzer’s last event at his fourth and final Olympics.

He and Richardson combined with Leigh Hoffman to win bronze earlier this week in the team sprint, ending Glaetzer’s run of fourth places.

On Friday, Richardson also won bronze in the match sprint.

“Anything can happen – keirin is a bit of a lottery,” Richardson said of the Australians’ chances.

Glaetzer only started thinking about the keirin on Saturday morning, keen to give himself a respite after the team sprint.

“It was pretty hard to switch off. I was pretty fortunate the other boys raced the sprint, because I had a pretty good recovery and they did a great job,” Glaetzer said.

“You don’t want to switch on too early and things can go around your head on a loop … that never helps.

“I know every ride here could be my last, so it’s just making sure that I go out on a note that I’m satisfied with. I don’t want to leave anything out there.”

Also on Saturday, Olympic debutant Kristina Clonan was eliminated from the women’s sprint after losing her third-round heat to British star Emma Finucane and then bowing out in the repechage.

Sam Welsford and Kelland O’Brien, one half of the men’s team pursuit quartet that won gold, were 13th in the madison as Portugal won.

Georgia Baker will also ride on Sunday in the omnium.

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