Agnoletto beats Stewart to Commonwealth Games elimination race gold in Glasgow

Blake Agnoletto claimed gold in the men's elimination race at the Commonwealth Games, sweeping past Mark Stewart in the closing laps to leave the Scot with silver on home soil at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. England's Henry Hobbs held off New Zealand's Thomas Sexton to take bronze.

The race was the last event of the evening session, and Stewart, riding in front of family and friends, had looked in control before the Australian produced his decisive surge. It was the first individual Games medal of the 30-year-old's career, 12 years after he made his debut on the same track at Glasgow 2014.

Stewart described his ride as "a nearly perfect race" and said he had entered the velodrome without a plan, as he usually does. "A coach said to me once, 'you're too... free-spirited', I thought that was a good thing," he told BBC Sport Scotland. "I don't really like to go in with a set plan. I think it's a good metaphor for life and sport. You've got to be adaptable, you've got to roll with the punches."

The Scot said he had initially been tempted to join a melee involving some English riders before deciding to get out of trouble. "I sort of got flicked once by one of the English boys and I was a bit scared, so I thought: I'm going to get to the front and get out of trouble."

Stewart finished last in the points race when he first appeared at the Games here 12 years ago, then bounced back to sixth in the scratch race. Since then he has collected Commonwealth gold in Gold Coast, three world championship medals and an appearance at the Paris Olympics.

Hobbs, a 19-year-old from Essex, claimed the first senior individual medal of his career a day after helping England to a dramatic gold in the 4,000m team pursuit. His compatriot Harry Ledingham-Horn also earned his first senior individual medal, taking bronze in the men's keirin.

"Someone said that that was the loudest cheer we've had so far, so that's pretty cool," Stewart added. "Fantastic way to end. But I've got to race tomorrow..."

Sources

• BBC Sport — "Free-spirited Stewart avoids melee on way to Scottish silver"
• BBC Sport — "Teenage cyclist Hobbs wins first individual medal"