Cycling: Skinner battles back to triumph in individual sprint championship

Capital cyclist Callum 
Skinner followed in the wheel tracks of a host of Scottish greats when he landed the individual sprint title at the British Track Championships.

The 20-year-old City of
Edinburgh rider was the quickest qualifier in Manchester and progressed easily through the knockout stages, beating team-mates Matt Haynes and Bruce Croall along the way, to book a gold medal ride-off against Welshman Lewis Oliva.

Skinner lost the opening leg of the best of three final and appeared to have been beaten in the second ride. However, Oliva was relegated for deviating, squaring matters at one leg each. And the Scot produced an outstanding effort in the decider to clinch gold by a fraction.

He joins fellow Scots 
Stewart Brydon, Eddie Alexander, Craig MacLean and Chris Hoy in wearing the British sprint champion’s jersey.

Skinner, Croall and John Paul contested yesterday’s team sprint for City of Edinburgh but were pipped by Oliva, Dave Daniell and Pete Mitchell representing the North West region.

Eleanor Richardson and Lauryn Therin of Edinburgh Road Club took silver in the women’s team sprint, and City of Edinburgh’s Charline Joiner clinched her third medal of the championships when she took bronze in the women’s Keirin.