Aussies overcome personal tragedy, win gold

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Sydney: Scott McGrory and Brett Aitken both broke down in tears after winning the Madison gold medal for Australia after overcoming personal tragedies before the Olympic track cycling competition on Thursday.

McGrory, whose four-month-old baby boy died from a heart failure last June, and Aitken, whose two-year old daughter has been seriously ill since Christmas, both said the dramas affecting their lives were on their minds when they crossed the line.

"Yes, I was thinking about my son," McGrory said, wiping his eyes."We've both been through tough moments and this is for our families, who have made massive sacrifices to bring us here," said an equally tearful Aitken.

The two combined perfectly in the event, making its Olympic debut, Aitken preparing the sprints for his more powerful team-mate on the white pinewood track under roars of appreciation from the partisan fans packing the Dunc Gray velodrome.

The 29-year-old Aitken said nothing could surpass his triumph on home ground and he might as well quit. "I think I'm retiring," he said. "I've been racing since I was seven. That's 20 years and it's a long time.

"Getting to this point has always been the driving force. I will still be involved in cycling but maybe not at top international level."

Heavy fall

While Aitken has been certain of a place in the Australian Olympic team for a long time, McGrory, who is one year older, did not secure a spot until last year's world championships in Berlin.

After Aitken suffered a heavy fall and was stretchered off the track, McGrory bravely rode the final 50 laps on his own, convincing selectors to include him in the squad.

"This is an old story," Aitken said. "Who cares about world championships now that we're Olympic champions." McGrory, a professional rider with German stable Gerolsteiner who lives in Cologne during the European season, said he had almost given up his Olympic dream after his son, also named Scott, had died.

"I went training but I kept breaking down," he said. "I could not see the point in going to the Games." His partner, Donna, who cheered him on from the stands on Thursday, gave him the strength to carry on, he said.

The crowd went wild as the two built their victory sprint after sprint but McGrory said the effects of a tremendous support were not all positive."The public has been an incredible force behind the Australian team all week but that can also be a problem because you can easily get carried away and lose energy," he said.

"We had talked about it with Brett before the race and we kept focused on what we had to do." Aitken proudly looked at the trophy hanging around his neck but he could not help thinking that there were more important things in life. "I would give away that gold medal for my daughter to get well," he said.



(c) Reuters Limited.