11 Aug 2012

Review of cycle team relegation wanted

6:27 am on 11 August 2012

China wants another review into the relegation of their women's cycling sprint team for an illegal changeover in the London Games final last week which cost the team a gold medal.

Chinese officials protested angrily after Guo Shuang and Gong Jinjie were relegated to silver, leaving Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte of Germany with the gold.

Commissaires ruled that Guo took over too early from Gong, the leadout rider.

Team manager Pan Zhichen has disputed the decision in a letter to International Cycling Union chief Pat McQuaid.

"While understanding your explanation of the commissaires' decision, after serious analysis, we once again would like to state that we believe that this ... judgement is not in accordance with the rules and the regulations," Pan wrote.

It is not possible to appeal commissaires' decisions in track cycling, but China still want answers.

Pan said the judgement was based on a "personal interpretation of the rules" by the commissaires' president and stated it was unsupported by any UCI regulation.

"This kind of temporary and random change of the rules will lead athletes and coaches ... into an air of confusion, and also leave the judges a possibility to make a subjective and random judgement," he added.

"I request the UCI once again (make) a reconsideration of this judgement..."