MTB: Johnston cleans up at Oceania champs

Amber Johnston

Rising Rotorua mountain biker Amber Johnston has won an under-23 title at the Oceania Mountain Bike Championships in Australia.

Johnston won the New Zealand under-23 cross country title in Rotorua earlier this month, and backed it up by winning the Oceania title in Toowoomba on Thursday.

The 19-year-old finished the women's under-23 race this week ahead of two fellow Kiwis Emily Parkes and Mary Gray.

Amber's three younger brothers also picked up good results in their age groups at the Oceania champs.

Connor finished second in the boys' under-15 race, Nathan finished seventh in the men's under-19 race, and Taylor finished 10th in the boys' under-17 race.

Meanwhile, world No3 ranked Dan McConnell (Australia) avenged his loss at the Commonwealth Games against Kiwi star Anton Cooper to win the elite men's title.

McConnell pushed clear on the penultimate lap of the cross country battle to finish 35 seconds clear of Cooper, with Aussie Cameron Ivory third and Rotorua's Dirk Peters in fourth.

Cooper, who won the gold medal in Glasgow, went with silver medallist Sam Gaze and McConnell from the start. It was down to McConnell and Cooper from lap three before the Australian pushed clear.

"I am happy to take second place today. I can't be disappointed losing to a rider of his calibre," Cooper said.

Unfortunately, Gaze did not make it to the finish line, recording a DNF.

Cooper's second placing in the elite race came with invaluable qualifying points towards the Rio Olympics.

Australian Rebecca Henderson, ranked 18th in the world, started fast and managed to hold off a strong effort from New Zealand champion Kate Fluker who finished 12 seconds back with Whakatane's Karen Hanlen finishing fast for third.

It was a bittersweet day for the New Zealanders who needed to win in the women's race in order to secure the continental qualifying slot for Rio, as there is virtually no chance that the Kiwi women can accumulate sufficient points on the world circuit to earn a country ranking spot.

Sophie Tyas won the elite women's downhill crown in 3:26.33 minutes, a second clear of Canadian champion Claire Buchar, while New Zealand's big guns in the men's gravity competition by-passed the championships.

Enduro world champion Jared Graves (Australia) won the elite men's downhill event.