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New Zealand post fastest qualifying time
New Zealand wowed at the Paris Olympics velodrome, setting the fastest time in the women’s team pursuit qualifying round on Tuesday, putting the team in the pole position for the gold medal final.
Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman, Nicole Shields, and Ally Wollaston pushed close to the existing world record set by Germany in the Tokyo Olympics, setting a time of 4:04.679, 0.437 shy of breaking that mark to move onto the first round of competition.
With new road race Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner a new addition to Team USA’s women’s team pursuit squad, their quartet with Tokyo Olympic bronze medalists Chloé Dygert, Jen Valente and Lily Williams powered to the second-fastest time, 4:05.238.
Despite missing Katie Archibald, who suffered a broken leg in a freak accident in June, Elinor Barker, Josie Knight, Anna Morris and Jessica Roberts finished solidly in third with a time of 4:06.710.
Great Britain will face off against the USA in the fight for the gold medal round, and will have to beat their American rivals to move on, or set the third- or fourth-fastest time to qualify for the bronze medal final.
The Italian team with Chiara Consonni, Martina Fidanza, Vittoria Guazzini, Letizia Paternoster slipped into fourth in the rankings ahead of defending champions Germany with a 4:07.579, becoming the final team eligible to race for the gold medals. They will have to beat New Zealand to move on, however.
Still building their momentum after Lisa Brennauer retired after the Tokyo Games, Franziska Brausse, Lisa Klein, Mieke Kröger and Laura Süßemilch moved on to the next round along with the teams from Australia, France and Canada.
Germany will face Canada in the first round, while France and Australia will compete to set the third and fourth-fastest times to be…
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