A fine tradition

Track cyclist Alison Shanks maintained a fine tradition when she won the gold medal in the womens 3000m individual pursuit today.

Madonna Harris started things by winning the gold medal in the fledgling event for women in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990. Then Sarah Ulmer turned up and won silver in 1994, and gold in 1998 and 2002.

Shanks herself tried valiantly to keep the streak alive in Melbourne in 2006, but could manage just fourth - a dirty fourth in Melbourne, as she has told viewers during the winter on those Sky television ads. Harris and

Ulmer are two of the big names in New Zealand womens sports history. Harris is one of only two people who have represented New Zealand at the winter and summer Olympics, and Ulmer iswell, Ulmer. But Shanks is rapidly forging the same sort of reputation herself.

It seems incredible that New Zealand could lose such a great womens cyclist as Ulmer and have another step straight into the breach. Amazingly, Shanks really began cycling only in 2005. Previous to that shed been a rep netballer of much potential, playing for New Zealand Under-21 and for the Otago Rebels. Too much time spent warming the reserves bench and a hankering to have a crack at cycling led to a mid-career change of sport. That was netballs loss, but a boon for cycling in New Zealand.

The Dunedin rider took to cycling incredibly quickly. A year after she dedicated herself to the sport, she went within a whisker of winning a Commonwealth Games medal. She then her career has been one of steady progression eighth in the world championships (individual pursuit) in 2006, seventh in 2007, fourth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then, in Poland in 2009, the world crown. Now shes won the Commonwealth Games gold medal, too, and in imperious fashion. Racing Wendy Houvenaghel (Beijing Olympic silver medallist) in the final, Shanks never looked anything but assured. She had handled herself well in qualifying and then seemed composed and confident while she waited for her final.

As Ulmer so often used to, she trailed for the first 1000m. Then she quickly closed the gap and piled on the pressure to win comfortably.

I just wanted to ride my own race for the first five or six laps. You dont win the race in the first kilo. You have to have something left for the finish, she said. Shanks, at 27, is one of the big names in the New Zealand cycling squad and her team-mates were looking to her to claim a gold medal. It meant there was a lot of pressure, but she responded as champions do. One of the difficult aspects, she said, was waiting for her event. The individual pursuit is usually early in the programme, so it was difficult waiting until the last day. Im relieved its over.

For reasons that remain unclear, the individual pursuit has been removed from the programme for the 2012 London Olympics. That is gut-wrenching for me, she said. It makes the victory here all the sweeter, something to savour. Now her attention will turn to the teams pursuit. Its not as if she has no pedigree in that event. She picked up a silver medal at the 2009 world champs and a bronze this year. In one way its a pity. It would have been great if she could have followed Ulmer to the treble Commonwealth Games, world title and Olympics. But a gold in the teams pursuit would be just as sweet.