Chuffed with her result in the chilly temperatures of northern Italy, Waipu cyclist Fiona Southorn is now looking forwards to further success across the ditch.
Southorn was recently selected in the nine-strong Kiwi team to contest the 3km at the UCI world para-cycling track championships in Montichiari.
Her selection came on the
back of winning a silver medal in the C5 division at the elite track nationals in Invercargill where she clocked 4m 3.713s in her key event, just one second off her personal best.
The 43-year-old, who has the 2012 London Paralympics in her sights, returned to Northland on Wednesday after a flying visit to Italy. Although shattered, she was buzzing after her European adventure and about her results at last week's para-cycling track championships.
"The competition was amazing, it was so good to see other cyclists still out there and also lots of new riders.
I had it in my head I wasn't going to be competitive enough so decided in my qualifying I would be happy with a personal best," she said.
Southorn had not beaten her personal best since setting it at the Oceania Championships in Sydney, nine years ago.
"I rode in the second heat of the 3km pursuit against an Irish lady who I passed on the third lap. I managed a PB by two seconds, completing the 3km in four minutes."
After thinking that was it for the day, Southorn said she realised she had qualified third-fastest and narrowly missed the ride off for gold and silver, by .7 of a second.
In the final for bronze, Southorn set about recovering in time for her race. "However, I took a very long time to recover and didn't quite get there in the final, losing the medal by under a second."
While the velodrome was heated up to 18C for the competition (it was 4C outside) Southorn said she found the racing conditions cold and difficult, and that it took a while to acclimatise after training in the humid and hot conditions of a Northland summer. Following the 3km pursuit, she rode in the 500m time trial, which she had not trained for, and managed a seventh placing and another PB.
Southorn will now switch her focus back to road racing, as she continues preparations for the Oceania Road Race at the Gold Coast in mid-April.
