Commonwealth Games: Webster knew they had gold

New Zealand men's sprint team Sam Webster, Ethan Mitchell and Eddie Dawkins celebrate their gold medal. Photo / Greg Bowker

Sam Webster didn't need to see his mate Eddie Dawkins cross the finish line to confirm the team sprint gold medal today.

''With half a lap to go I knew we were going to do it," the powerful Auckland rider said.

Webster was the middle man between good mates Ethan Mitchell and Dawkins as New Zealand showed their world championship gold medal in Colombia this year was no fluke by setting a Commonwealth Games record in both qualifying and the final.

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New Zealand won in 43.181 seconds, with England taking silver in 43.706 and Australia winning the bronze.

''I saw my splits, saw Eddie's first half and I knew we were going to come away with the win," Webster said.

''But you never start celebrating," he quipped.

''It was an amazing feeling on the last lap. The emotion comes out. I couldn't do it with a bette group of guys."

And Webster had a pop at the English tactics on the start line.

They stopped the clock with eight seconds to the start, ostensibly for a technical issue. Webster said the New Zealanders weren't fazed.

''We try to prepare for every scenario we can control. You can't control a false start, but can control how we deal with it.

''With eight seconds left you'r ready to go, absolutely geed up. So you clear your head, start the (50s) countdown again."

Sam Webster, Ethan Mitchell and Eddie Dawkins celebrate their gold medal on the podium alongside England, left, and Australia. Photo / Greg Bowker

Webster said ''lots" of teams have tried it before.

''We thought they're looking for everything because they know they can't beat us straight up."

The win gave Webster a full set of Games medals. He won silver and bronze at New Delhi four years ago in the team and individual sprint respectively.