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BENDIGO cyclist Glenn O’Shea is determined to add to his Commonwealth Games medal tally as the action in Glasgow rolls on.
O’Shea marked his first Commonwealth Games by winning gold in Friday morning’s (AEST) 4000m teams pursuit final.
The Cyclones campaign on the track began in stunning fashion.
O’Shea linked with Luke Davison, Alex Edmondson and Jack Bobridge to win the teams pursuit in a Games record time of 3:54.851.
They beat the England line-up led by 2012 Tour de France champion Sir Bradley Wiggins by five seconds.
The Australian Cyclones squad is coached by Tim Decker, who began his coaching career in Bendigo.
“It’s pretty special,” O’Shea told Network Ten.
“We all grew up watching the Commonwealth Games.
“I remember when I was younger going to Melbourne (2006) to watch. So to come here and win is special.”
O’Shea said the quartet, who have all raced in the Bendigo International Madison, were suprised by the final margin in the Games final.
“We probably rode a little bit quicker than we thought we would,” he told Fairfax Media.
“Our aim was to try and break the Commonwealth record, I guess, and we did that so that’s fantastic.”
Selection is yet to be ratified, but O’Shea is a strong contender for Saturday’s 40km points score or Sunday’s 20km scratch race to be contested at Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
The 25-year-old is one of the best all-round track cyclists in the world.
He won the omnium at the 2012 world championships in Melbourne, which was the start of what’s being a spectacular comeback since his career was derailed by illness.
O’Shea is the only sportsman to win three Bendigo Advertiser-Prime TV Sports Star of the Year awards.
Meanwhile, the Games campaign for Bendigo full-bore rifle shooting ace Geoff Grenfell began on Friday.
Grenfell, a gold medallist at the 1994 Games in Victoria, Canada is chasing more glory in the pairs event.
He is also a Sports Star of the Year winner and now Hall of Fame member.
Netballer Caitlin Thwaites marked her first Games campaign by scoring 19 goals from 23 attempts in Australia’s first-round win againt Wales.
The Aussies won 63-36 and will now face world No. 3 England in Saturday’s pool match.
On the badminton court, Australia started with a 4-1 victory in the mixed teams match against Wales.
Bendigo’s Jeff Tho, now based in Ballarat, was beaten in his best-of-three sets singles contest.
The Australian line-up, which includes Ross Smith from Swan Hill, dominated the doubles matches against the Welsh line-up.