Bryony Botha powers her way to a bronze medal in the individual pursuit at the UCI 2024 Track World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: SWpix.com
Bryony Botha has extended New Zealand's medal count at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Denmark today to four.
The Auckland 26-year-old claimed bronze in a ride-off for third in the 3000 metre event, adding to her fine record at the world champs following a silver in Paris in 2022 and a bronze last year in Glasgow. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the event also has two past world championship medals in the team pursuit.
Germany's Franziska Brausse started strongly in the ride-off to lead the first three laps, before Botha accelerated past her, stretching her lead each lap, to finish in 3mins 21.086secs, over three seconds clear of Brausse.
At one stage Botha had the led the qualifying order before American Chloe Dygert stepped up to set a new world record of of 3:15.663 at the Ballerup Arena in Copenhagen.
But Dygert couldn't match that in the final, losing to Britain's Anna Morris, who headed her five laps from the finish and won gold by just 0.3secs. Her time was 3:16.560.
New Zealand's other three medals at the championships have all been won by Ally Wollaston, with two golds in the individual elimination and the omnium, and a bronze in the 10km scratch race.
Wollaston will chase further glory in the individual points race on Monday.