Cycling: Surprise finalist Hamlin sprints home for first title

Wanganui's Jono Hamlin won the men's sprint final last night at the national track cycling championships in Manukau to claim his first New Zealand senior title.

Hamlin beat Auckland's Neil Campbell in the best-of-three races after the pair caused upsets earlier in the day when New Zealand representatives Anthony Peden and Justin Grace were bundled out of the event.

In the rideoff for third and fourth, Daniel Beatson (Otago), who had earlier knocked out Wellington's Peden in the quarter-finals, beat Justin Grace (Auckland) 2-1.

The senior women's points race was won comfortably by Joanne Kiesanowski (Canterbury) with 29 points. Second was Annaliisa Farrell (Canterbury) with 15 points from Otago's Gail Tye.

Sarah Ulmer of Waikato did not compete because she was suffering from asthma.

The 2000m scratch final for junior under-15 boys was won by Sam Steele (Canterbury) in 2m 29.31s from Jamie Richards (West Coast North Island) with Aaron Richards (Southland) third.

Graham Bunn (Waikato) won the 4000m veteran 2 scratch final in a time of 5m 56.21s from Malcolm Pearce (Canterbury) and Richard Mellsop (Waikato).

The veteran 1 final saw Gary Hibbert (Auckland) triumph in a time of 5m 21.49s from Blyth Andrews (Waikato) and Nigel Hunt (Auckland).

The championships are the last chance for senior riders to win a place in the World Cup track team from which the NZ Olympic team will be selected. They are an opportunity for the under-19 riders to press for selection for the junior world track championships in Los Angeles in July.

The event finishes tomorrow.