Wrenthorpe cycling star Ollie Wood shakes off illness to win Commonwealth Games medals

The Wrenthorpe cycling star spent most of the week in the build-up to the home Games vomiting, meaning missed training sessions and sleepless nights, writes Tom Harle.

It seemed to set back Great Ayton’s Charlie Tanfield, Ethan Vernon and Dan Bigham’s chances of claiming a major medal in front of an expectant home crowd.

But Wood and company raised their game when it mattered, starting with a qualifying effort of 3:50.796 that placed England second, a second behind New Zealand.

They were behind the eight-ball for the entirety of the gold medal final as the Kiwis, fielding the same line-up they did at the Tokyo Olympics, took victory by nearly two seconds.

In the circumstances, silver was a precious medal that Wood won against the odds.

Wood said: “I caught a stomach bug at the start of the week that wiped me out for a good 48 hours.

“I was in my bed curled up in a ball, not feeling great, so we missed a few training sessions. Sometimes sport throws you these curveballs.

“It was about how we as a team overcame it and put a decent ride together on the day.

“We were lacking in some areas but with what we had to deal with, we’re happy.”

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Wood was also in individual action in the points race and brought home a bronze medal. He described the race as “tough”, but said the home crowd in the velodrome had spurred him on.

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