Taiwan bags 4 golds, 5 silvers, 4 bronzes in Asian cycling tourney

New Delhi, India, Feb. 27 (CNA) Taiwan's athletes won a total of four golds, five silvers and four bronzes in the Asian Track Cycling Championships held in the Indian capital New Delhi from Feb. 21-26.

The Chinese Taipei team -- the official name for the Taiwan team -- clinched one medal in the elite category and 12 in the junior competition.

The only medal won by a Taiwanese elite cyclist was by Asian Games medalist Huang Ting-ying (黃亭茵), who picked up bronze in the women's elimination.

Huang told CNA that the performance met her expectations, particularly as the races were becoming increasingly intense due to the upcoming Paris Olympics, which meant ranking points were up for grabs.

The bronze medal was a stepping stone towards her dream of competing in the Olympics, she said.

To secure a spot, she will also need to perform well in the track competitions held in Hong Kong in March and in Canada in April.

Until then, her job will be reviewing her racing performances, focusing on her training, strengthening her weaknesses, and "cheerfully preparing for the next challenge," she said.

Meanwhile, the junior team won four gold medals, one each in the men's team pursuit, the men's omnium, the women's scratch, and the women's elimination.

Five silvers were won in the men's scratch, the men's individual pursuit, the women's time trial, the women's keirin, and the women's individual sprint.

Three bronzes were won in the men's team sprint, the men's keirin, and the women's team sprint.

The junior team's coach Lin Kun-hung (林昆鴻) told CNA that the team put on an outstanding performance, considering that they lacked experience in high-intensity track races and had no standard track arena to practice in.

He said the team appeared maladaptive at first but adjusted quickly, performing better and better as the tournament went on.

Everyone is high-spirited and ambitious to succeed in next year's competition, even those who did not win a medal, he added.

The championships were held in the Indira Gandhi Stadium, with nearly 500 athletes from 18 Asian nations competing, according to the organizers.