It became double gold in double quick time for New Zealand’s Emma Foy and Jessie Hodges on the penultimate day of track cycling at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Watched on by multiple members of the Royal Family at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Kiwi tandem stood on top of the podium for the second time in 48 hours, setting a new personal best and New Zealand record in the tandem 1km time trial.
It’s a venue which has been a happy hunting ground for Kiwi track cyclists in the past, winning 11 medals there at the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games, as well as a record eight medals at Aotearoa’s most successful UCI Track World Championships three years ago.
Our women have so far won two gold, two silver and two bronze, with one more day of racing overnight on Sunday.
This time, New Zealand have sent a team of 19 cyclists – 11 women and eight men – although Nick Kergozou didn’t make it to the start line, after being hospitalised following a crash in training.
It was something that was fresh in the memory for Foy and pilot Hodges as they swept to gold in the tandem Para sprint final on day one of the programme.
Foy and Hodges had their own crash to contend with in their best-of-three final against Australians Jessica Gallagher and Jacqueline Mengler-Mohr. The Australians snatched the first race on the line, winning by 0.207s before they rode into the New Zealanders at the start of the second race, and sent both teams tumbling.
“We were definitely pretty sore, but we were saying after we won gold, we don’t feel so bad now. It is what it is, it’s track racing and that comes with it and if you’re not hurt too bad, you get back up and you ride for the people who can’t, like our teammate Nick, who’s suffered a pretty bad back injury. You ride for people like that who would love to be racing right now. It’s pretty cool to be here,” said Hodges after the pair won their country’s first gold on the track at these games.
After Hodges reappeared with her knee bandaged, the Kiwi duo won the second race by 0.055s before changing tactics in the deciding third race, sprinting hard much earlier, opening such a huge lead the Australians never had any chance of closing it.
“With the crash, there was a little bit of extra adrenalin in there,” Foy said.
“We knew they’re a real tough tandem , quite gutsy and quite willing to push the limits which means we have to be really onto it. We pretty much had to go from the gun and make it a long, drawn out three laps and that would play to our strengths, so that’s what we did.”
These gold medals mark another illustrious achievement for visually impaired Foy, now 37.
After trying both karate and athletics, she was attending a spin class in Auckland when a client suggested she give cycling a go, leading her to join the high-performance programme in 2013.
Foy quickly found success, winning World Championship bronze in the time trial with pilot Gabrielle Vermunt in 2013, before partnering with Laura Thompson the following year, with the pair claiming World Championship gold and a world record in the time trial before adding further world titles and medals, including Paralympic silver in the Tandem Individual Pursuit and bronze in the Road Race at Rio 2016.
In 2021 she withdrew from top sport, but she staged a remarkable comeback in 2025, with Hodges as her pilot, as the pair won silver medals in both the individual pursuit and time trial at the World Championships in Rio.
Hodges, 29, turned to cycling as part of her recovery from a serious injury that ended a promising netball career. She soon shone in the saddle and was chosen to ride in the madison at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she finished 11th.
“It’s definitely a dream come true,” said Hodges.
“We’ve only been on the bike together for a year and a half and this was something we set our sights on, so it’s pretty cool we pulled it off.”
“You don’t necessarily do it for the gold, you do it for the journey as well, and I think the journey we’ve had has been pretty amazing. Our full cycling career, what we’ve got out of it, the travel, the friends we’ve met, the places we’ve been to, it all makes it really worthwhile, but this puts the icing on the cake.”
Later on day one, the women’s team pursuit squad – Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman, Ally Wollaston, Prudence Fowler and Sami Donnelly (who rode in the qualifying round) – earned silver after facing Australia in their final.
Wollaston, who was selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games but never made it to Birmingham four years ago, after sustaining an injury whilst competing in the inaugural Tour de France Femmes, was happy with their achievement.
“It feels really good. I’m so happy to be here, healthy and safe this time round, Wollaston said.
“Just to line up with these girls is a real honour and privilege and to be standing here with a medal is just the cherry on top really. We’re tracking in a good way I think. We’re a group with a lot of potential and I think we’re on a really good trajectory to be on form for LA [Olympics in 2028]. That’s the big goal for sure.”
Again on day one, Nicole Murray sealed the bronze medal in the women’s C4-C5 individual pursuit, after narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
Riding against Australian Erin Normoyle, Murray rode at capacity in pursuit of bronze for the entire journey, finishing in 5min 06.199s, which gave her a 28-second margin over Normoyle.
Murray, who lost her hand in an accident at age five, has been a world-class medal-winner on both the road and the track throughout her accomplished career.
“It’s such an incredible feeling, just to be up there [on the podium] with my other competitors, who are just amazing people as well,” Murray said.
“It’s so cool that para sport is getting to this point where it’s so tough. I think there’s a bit of a misconception that to be part of para sport you just have to be disabled and active, but it really isn’t the case and it’s viciously competitive out there, but at the end of the day we’re all just here to do our best and support each other and it’s an incredible thing to be a part of.”
There were disappointments on day one as well. The sprint trio of Ellesse Andrews, Olivia King and Rebecca Petch, who won gold with a games record time four years ago, failed to qualify for the team final, recording a time of 47.852s in their qualifying ride, which left them as the slowest of the five teams.
“We did what we could, but we’re disappointed with the result,” Andrews said.
“There are pieces out there we can pull together, but we’re going to need a bit more time.”
On day two, in the individual pursuit, neither Shearman or Botha, the defending Commonwealth Games champion, survived the first round initially, although Botha was subsequently given a reprieve when two Australians, Sophie Edwards and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, were disqualified. Botha would ultimately finish fourth.
In the women’s sprint New Zealand fielded Andrews, King and Petch. But Andrews, the defending Commonwealth and 2024 Olympic champion, surprisingly finished only ninth while King was 14th and Petch 16th.
Christchurch’s Donnelly, whose father Nigel was part of New Zealand’s gold medal team pursuit team at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, picked up a second silver medal at these games in the gruelling 10km scratch race final. The colour started off as bronze but a few minutes after the race had finished, later she was upgraded to a silver a disqualification.
The other Kiwis in the 23-strong field were Fowler, who came 16th, and Wollaston, who was 18th.
“It was pretty crazy,” said Donnelly.
“Even in the last lap I was getting bounced. Me, Ally and Pru said we’d all ride for each other and we’ll take those moments and really push the boat out. We trusted each other as well.”
On day three, Andrews, who won three golds and one silver in Birmingham, won her first medal at these games, taking home bronze in the 1km time trial.
“It’s such a brutal event,” Andrews said afterwards.
“I left it all out there and I’m stoked to come away with the bronze.”
Andrews will attempt to defend her kerin title on the final day of competition.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, but first, some really good recovery and then just get the head back in the game for the final day.”
In the points race, Wollaston was the best of the Kiwi riders, finishing just off the podium in fourth, with teammates Botha and Shearman finishing 8th and 9th respectively.
When the track programme concludes tomorrow, Andrews will be joined in the kerin by King, while Wollaston, Fowler and Donnelly will go for gold in the elimination race. In the C1-5 1km time trial, Murray will look to add to her bronze medal from day one.
Foy and Hodges have led the way so far with their two golds on the track for New Zealand’s women, but there’s still plenty to ride for as the 2026 Commonwealth Games come to a close.
