Lithuanians in the News
5th April 2009
A World Record and a Swag of Medals for Lithuanian Cyclists in the 2009 Track Cycling World Championships

Simona Krupeckaitė
after her third win.
Photo courtesy Lietuvos Rytas
At the 2009 Track Cycling World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland, March 25-29, 2009, Lithuanian Women Cyclists achieved a fantastic result – a world record and four medals, one gold and three bronze. More medals were won only by the British and Australian women’s teams (7 and 5 medals respectively), both countries with much larger populations than Lithuania.
The Lithuanian star at the championship was 26 year old Simona Krupeckaitė (See on this website Sport 29/03/09). Simona won the gold and an individual bronze and a shared a bronze with 22 year old Gintarė Gaivenytė. In her world record-breaking run in the Women's 500m Time Trial of 33.296 seconds, Simona shaved off an amazing 0.292 seconds off the world record previously held by Australian Anna Meares. This is a remarkable result, since the distance of the race was so short.
President Valdas Adamkus holds a reception for the returning cyclists.
In the centre (L-R) are medalists Vilija Sereikaitė and Simona Krupeckaitė,
President Adamkus, and medalist Gintarė Gaivenytė.
Photo courtesy President of Lithuania website www.lrp.lt
Simona’s other individual medal was the bronze in Women’s Sprint. The shared bronze with Gintarė Gaivenytė was in Women's Team Sprint. A bronze for the Lithuanian team was also won by 22 year old Vilija Sereikaitė in Women’s Individual Pursuit. If it was not for an attack of the flu, which stopped her from competing further, Simona Krupeckaitė might have finished up with even more medals!
On their return to Lithuania from Pruszkow, President Valdas Adamkus held a reception for the Lithuanian cycling team, trainers and officials. President Adamkus declared that the cyclists’ achievements are a splendid gift to Lithuania in this Millennium year.

Further information:  www.lrytas.lt 25-31/03/09, www.lrp.lt    www.track-pruszkow2009.com/