Laura Kenny has secured the second Commonwealth Games gold medal of her career, after clinching victory in the women's 10km scratch race at Lee Valley Velopark. The English star saw off the likes of Michaela Drummond of New Zealand and Maggie Coles-Lyster to secure the dramatic win.
The English star left it late in her pursuit of gold, as she made her move in the final moments by hanging back before exploding past her rivals and into first place. It was Scotland's Neah Evans who led the way heading into the final lap, and with just 150 metres to go England's Kenny made her lightening dash to the front.
Evans faded late on, allowing Drummond to take silver in second, and Coles-Lyster to take third and bronze to complete the podium.
Kenny's victory comes after she achieved bronze earlier in the Games in the team pursuit. The gold may came as as surprise to some despite her incredible pedigree, after she could only pick up a 13th place finish in Sunday's points race.
Over the moon, the five-time Olympic champion told the BBC: "I can't believe it honestly, I said to Jase [Jason Kenny - her husband] 'I think this is going to be my last race. I watched Adam Peaty completely reflect in his interview and I thought that is me all over.
"I've lost the spark, training doesn't come that easy. Every day I'm like 'here we go again'. I've been there three Olympic cycles now. To keep picking yourself up after this whole year has been a nightmare. I have absolutely just lost motivation.
"Then last night I was messaging my new coach Len and I was like 'no, I'm not giving up, I have one more roll of the dice please just help me'. It could not have been better set up if I tried." Speaking about bouncing back from her disappointment on Sunday, Kenny added: "Sunday left a pretty bad taste to be honest. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind.
"You see Matt Walls crash like that and it really makes you think 'what am I doing?'. I have been so lucky my whole career I have had one broken shoulder and one broken arm. You see something like that... I was having a serious confidence crisis.
"I just didn't want to be on the track and when that happens I race badly and I don't get a result. And that's what happened. Whereas today I was so fired up. I kept saying to myself in the toilet, 'I can do this'. Some man on the start line said 'you've got this Laura' and I felt like turning round to him and saying 'yes I have'. I was like a completely different bike rider."
