Aussie cyclists get golds for missing team pursuit final

Australian cyclists Stephen Wooldridge and Peter Dawson will be presented with gold medals even though they did not ride in the final of the team pursuit at the Athens Games, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said Friday.

The AOC said they had been informed by the International Olympic Committee that the pair, who both competed in qualifying for the event, would be awarded gold medals.

An AOC spokesman said the medals would be presented to them at a later date.

Dawson and Wooldridge were inconsolable after missing out on Australia's gold medal win last Monday in the 4000m team pursuit after riding in the qualifying round the previous day.

Dawson had ridden in all three of Australia's world championship wins in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and Wooldridge was in the 2002 and 2004 teams.

The Australian world champions and world record holders beat Britain in the final by more than three and a half seconds.

Australia's winning time was three minutes 58.233 seconds, outside the world record of 3:56.610 they set in winning through to the gold medal ride-off.