Kiwi Ellesse Andrews has claimed the UCI Track Champions League sprint title with a race to spare, courtesy of winning the women's sprint in London to add to her keirin world title won earlier this year.
After cruising into Sunday's final, 23-year-old Andrews defeated Martha Bayona Pineda of Colombia to take the women's sprint title, to lay down a marker with less than a year until the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
By netting 20 points for the victory, Andrews also sealed the Champions League title at her first attempt, by qualifying for the women's keirin final as well.
And while Pineda claimed victory in the keirin to finish the event, Andrews' total of 173 points was too great for any other rider to surmount, as the Kiwi claimed the title by 19 points over Germany's Alessa-Catriona Propster.
"Today was a massive day," said Andrews post-race. "Me and Alessa were very close on points.
"My mindset going into each race was on the individual race, I was trying not to think about the overall.
"It is hard not to. I just wanted to go out there and do my best race in each event.
Winning the title also gives Andrews a huge boost as she prepares for next year's Paris Games, looking to add to her keirin silver medal won at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
"I'm really happy I came," she added. "It's not always easy to get racing experience in New Zealand, we're a long way away from the rest of the world.
"So this was just the perfect opportunity to come over and keep learning, keep testing myself and pushing myself," the 23-year-old said when asked if her feat gave her momentum for next year."
Andrews also claimed three golds at last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, winning the individual sprint, team sprint and keirin.
This year was Andrews' first competing in the Champions League, which only began in 2021, making her New Zealand's first and so far only rider to claim a title.
