USA women win team pursuit title at World Championships: social media reacts

Social media networks were abuzz on Thursday morning as the USA Women’s Cycling Squad took the gold over Australia and New Zealand in the team pursuit at the UCI Track World Championships in Hong Kong.

Winners of the gold medal in the event at the Track World Cup in Los Angeles this past February as well, Kelly Catlin (Rally Cycling), Chloé Dygert Owen (Sho-Air TWENTY20), Jenn Valente (unattached) and Kim Geist (PA Masters p/b Piscitello Law) took the top spot on the podium by a narrow margin. Team USA is now back-to-back World Champions in the team pursuit.

IndyStar Sports journalist David Woods was one of the first to break the news:

And USA Cycling was quick to follow with their excitement for the squad racing in Hong Kong:

Later congratulating them for their efforts with a group gold medal shot:

Heading into the bell lap, the Australia team led by 0.412 seconds, but Dygert positioned herself on the front of the train to deliver Team USA the come-from-behind win.

Australia clocked a time of 4-19.830 while Team USA turned the nearly half second deficit into a 0.417-second victory with a winning time of 4-19.413.

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"That was a fantastic battle with a very good Australian team,” USA Cycling Vice President of Athletics Jim Miller said. “We had a fight to the very end. Hats off to the Aussies, they rode a great race."

UCI Track tweeted a photo of the three podium teams:

Sports scientist and elite cycling coach Neal Henderson, based in Boulder, Colorado didn’t filter his excitement either:

Competition resumes for Team USA on Friday when Zak Kovalcik (Toronto Hustle) will start the men’s points race and Sarah Hammer (Performance United – FELT) will compete in the women’s omnium.