Stewart strikes gold to give Scotland second place in track cycling medals table

Mark Stewart crowned another successful day for Scotland in the velodrome by winning Commonwealth gold in the men’s points race on Sunday night.

A superb ride from Stewart gave Scotland a third medal of the day and the first gold, leaving his team second in the final medals table as the track cycling programme came to an end.

Neah Evans had earlier taken her second medal of the Games, winning silver in the women’s scratch race, while there was a bronze for Callum Skinner in the men’s 1,000m time trial.

“I’m really proud,” said Stewart. “That was a lot of hard work and it’s come together nicely. I’m only 22 but I feel like I’ve been at this ages. There’s been a lot of good days and a lot of bad days. This is up there with the good days.”

Stewart came out with an aggressive strategy and it paid off.

He gained three laps on the field to build a lead he never surrendered as most of his rivals focused on five-time world champion Cameron Meyer – who would have to settle for fourth behind New Zealand’s Campbell Stewart and England’s Ethan Hayter.

“I think when you ride against someone like Cam Meyer you can’t play his game,” Stewart said.

“He’s the best in the world at what he does. You don’t win however many world titles by chance, so you’ve got to take it to him and put him on the back foot. I think that’s why he keeps winning, because everyone follows him. He can follow me.”

Hayter’s bronze gave the 19-year-old a deserved reward after an heroic attack in Saturday’s scratch race came up agonisingly short of victory.

“That was a bit devastating,” he said. “I guess that made me quite hungry to get something for my troubles today.”

Katie Archibald might have been the Scotland rider most were watching in the women’s scratch race, but she would come home fourth as Evans was second to Australian Amy Cure, with England’s Emily Kay collecting bronze.

It was a second medal in as many days for Evans, who took bronze in Saturday’s points race.

“I’m really happy,” said the 27-year-old. “(If you’d offered me silver and bronze) I’d have been delighted.

“I was a little bit disappointed with how I rode the points race whereas I feel I rode the scratch race much better tonight so I’m really happy with that.”

It was a first Commonwealth medal for the 22-year-old Kay, who is making her debut in the event.

“I can’t wipe the smile off my face,” she said. “The last couple of days have been tough and I knew this was my last opportunity for a medal. I rode it well.

“I nearly got taken out with two laps to go and thought my chance was over but I just found the gap and I’m over the moon to get third.”

New Zealand’s Ed Dawkins also went inside a minute to take silver while Skinner recorded a time of 1:01.083, having shaken off the illness which kept him out of Saturday’s sprint.

“It means quite a lot, I’ve had a bit of a rough patch since Rio,” the Olympic team sprint champion said. “I’m not at the pace I want to be and to pick up little markers means a lot and this is another stepping stone towards Tokyo.”

Sunday’s trio of medals left Scotland with 10 medals in all on the track, four of them gold. Australia topped the table with 19 medals, 10 gold, while England were third with nine in total, three of them gold. Wales finished with four, including one gold.