Commonwealth Games: Katie Archibald sets new Scottish record

Katie Archibald posted a new Scottish record in the 3000m individual pursuit as she qualified for a bronze medal play-off against Australia’s Amy Cure at the Sir Chris Hoy Veldorome this morning. The 20 year-old Milngavie rider, who has dyed her hair in the colours of the Saltire flag for the occasion, will take on Cure at around 4.55 pm this evening after finishing in fourth place in the qualifying heats with a time of 3.33.526.

As well as securing a medal chance for herself, Archibald’s performance helped edge out England’s Laura Trott from the medal equation. Trott was visibly distraught after she posted a time of 3.35.213, which left her trailing in fifth place.

Trott, who won a gold in the team pursuit event at London 2012 and at the world championships this year, can still claim a podium place in the scratch, points and road race events, but she was one of the ones to beat here yesterday – and Archibald, who is a regular training partner of Trott’s, managed to do this, in some style.

Trott’s teammate Joanna Rowsell will duel with Australia’s Annette Edmondson for the gold medal, with the former a particularly strong performer in the morning session when posting a new Commonwealth Games record of 3.29.038 - a full second faster than the previous record, set in 2006.

Edmondson’s brother Alex has also qualified for the final of the 4000m individual pursuit event this afternoon. The current world champion meets compatriot Jack Bobridge, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, in the final. There is some Scottish interest to be traced in this intriguing story of the high-achieving Edmondson siblings – mother Cathy was born in Scotland, and their grandfather once played for Elgin City.

The disappointed Trott was cheered – or possibly not – by boyfriend Jason Kenny’s progress into the semi-finals of the men’s sprint event, where he will race later today against Peter Lewis of Australia for the right to meet either Edward Dawkins or Sam Webster in the final. Kenny has clicked into gear after only qualifying for the quarter-finals via a first round repechage.

Scotland’s Mark Stewart, meanwhile, set a new Scottish record of 4.32.279 in the qualifying heats for the men’s 4000m individual pursuit but did not finish high enough to secure the chance to bid for a medal. While Bobridge will meet Edmondson in the final, New Zealand’s Marc Ryan will play-off against Welshman Owain Doull for the bronze medal.