Lara Gillespie has gotten Ireland's campaign at the UCI World Track Championships off to a very strong start in Denmark with 5th in the elimination race.
The Wicklow woman was up against some serious talent in the world title race, with world and Olympic road and track champions on the track, including Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) and three-time Olympic track champion Jennifer Valente (USA).
Gillespie, who make her Olympic debut this year as part of the team pursuit line-up, went shoulder to shoulder with the best this evening until very deep into the contest at the Ballerup Super Arena, Copenhagen.
She only went out of the race when just four other riders remained in contention; world road race champion Kopecky, Valente, New Zealand's Ally Wollaston - who won two Olympic medals this year - and Letizia Paternoster, the former world champion in the elimination race.
In that company, going out of the race in 5th - of 22 starters - was a very strong result of Gillespie, in what was her first elimination race at a major championships.
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The fight for gold and silver came down to Wollaston and Kopecky, with the Kiwi getting the better of the big name Belgian to take her first world title. Valente claimed bronze.
WOW, what a way to win your first rainbow jersey ??
Ally Wollaston beats defending champion Lotte Kopecky in the Elimination Race! ??#Ballerup2024 #TrackCycling pic.twitter.com/3IDgEaK1d7
— Eurosport (@eurosport) October 17, 2024
Elimination Race | Top 10
