Commonwealth Games: McGlynn, Haston pipped to gold

Scotland's Louise Haston and Aileen McGlynn celebrate their silver in the Women's 1km Time Trial B Tandem. Picture: SNS

Eighteen-year-old para-cyclist Thornhill and her pilot Scott followed up their day-one victory in the B2 sprint with another rousing performance at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Just as they did on Thursday, Thornhill and Scott nudged Scottish favourites Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston into silver with a time of one minute 0.87 seconds.

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Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott are responsible for the other two, having celebrated a second tandem triumph in the 1,000-metre B2 time-trial.

Eighteen-year-old para-cyclist Thornhill and her pilot Scott followed up their day-one victory in the B2 sprint with another rousing performance at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Just as they did on Thursday, Thornhill and Scott nudged Scottish favourites Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston into silver with a time of one minute 0.87 seconds.

Thornhill and Scott, racing last and with the time to beat staring down at them from the big screen, came out with a bang, gaining a second inside just two time-spilts.

They continued making gains and had a commanding lead of 1.455secs by the halfway stage, making the second 500m a case of mere preservation.

They ended up 1.584 in front of the Scottish duo but were given an appreciative roar by the Glaswegian crowd.

Thornhill was ready to celebrate in style having enjoyed her experience at her first able-bodied Games, saying: “To come away with the gold and that time I can’t believe it. There is a bottle of champagne waiting for us up in our room so we will pop that open and have a few glasses and just enjoy it.

“It is crazy...our World Championship didn’t get anywhere near as much coverage as this.

“For everyone to give us the same recognition as the able-body guys is amazing

“This environment is so exciting and I can’t wait for Rio now.”

There was more good news soon after for England as Jess Varnish claimed bronze in the women’s individual sprint.

Riding against Malaysia’s Fatehah Mustapa in a best-of-three head to head, Varnish was awarded the first race when commissaires relegated Mustapa for unfairly holding her line on the final straight.

The second race was a more decisive affair, Varnish leading her opponent out and leaving her for dead to triumph in style.

Australian great Anna Meares, going for a record sixth Commonwealth Gold and second of this Games, was surprisingly beaten 2-0 in the gold medal match by compatriot Stephanie Morton.

Morton had been faster in qualifying but showed an unexpected edge against Meares’ head-to-head skills.

Varnish was pleased to pick up a second bronze of the Games following her 500m time-trial efforts, but was less impressed with Mustapa’s encroachment in the opening rubber.

“It was so obvious, she just elbowed me. Some people can come five centimetres outside the line and will still get disqualified and she was way, way over the line.

“It is annoying because you always want to cross the line first but we didn’t even complete the race because it was that dangerous.

“I am quite sure I would have come around her anyway but I am glad to have got the medal.”