The championships, which offered qualifying points for the world championships and ultimately the Tokyo Olympics, mark the beginning of the international season, and the New Zealand team blooded some developing riders as well as including some proven elites.
Best in the elite performers was sprinter Natasha Hansen, who finished runner-up to world sprint silver medallist Stephanie Morton in the individual sprint final. The New Zealander beat Morton’s world champion team sprint partner Kaarle McCulloch in the deciding third ride of an exciting semifinal.
"I was happy with today. I had a good qualifying in the morning. I didn’t have the greatest races last night in the keirin so I was pleased to come back tonight and redeem myself," Hansen said.
"The first race against McCulloch I messed up my timing but I thought I could have got her, so it was good to really execute the next two rides.
"Steph is so strong so I was trying the best tactics to upset her but she was too strong at the moment."
The other elite podium placing went to Subway Performance Hub rider Sam Dakin who was third in the keirin final, won by world sprint champion Matthew Glaetzer of Australia.
Dakin won his repechage to earn a start in the semifinal where he was second behind Glaetzer, and he produced another strong ride in the final, where teammate Sam Webster was fifth.
Kiwi pairings finished on the podium in both women’s and men’s Madison races.
World championship omnium bronze medallist, Rushlee Buchanan, just returned from her road season, paired with Michaela Drummond to finish third only six points behind the winners, while Aaron Wyllie and Tom Sexton were second in the men’s race.
Canterbury’s Laurence Pithie completed an outstanding championship with a silver medal on countback in the junior points race and third in the scratch race after winning the individual pursuit earlier in the meet.
Pithie bounced back from a crash that cost him any chance of winning the omnium on day three, despite battling a sore knee.
Subway Performance Hub riders Emily Paterson (Southland) and Eva Parkinson (Waikato-BOP) combined to finish second in the junior women’s Madison, seven points from the winners.
