Sam Gaze

New Zealanders Sam Gaze and Ben Oliver have blitzed the mountain biking cross-country final at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, taking gold and silver in ...

I rode my speed and tried to finish strong and I'm just really happy with the way I delivered my performance and also felt during it." "Sam really stepped on the gas with two-and-a-half laps to go. "I just rode a consistent tempo. "I just wanted to empty the tank today - I really wanted to start out solid and separate ourselves from the rest of the race," he said. In the mountain biking, Sam Gaze attacked with two laps of the eight-lap course to go, opening out a 40-second over Oliver with one lap remaining. With four days left to go in the Commonwealth Games, New Zealand sits fourth in the competition medal tally witha total of 16 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals.

Sam Gaze has defended his Commonwealth Games title in Birmingham, winning the men's cross country mountain bike race early on Thursday morning with fellow ...

Oliver was a full minute ahead of Orr and Blackmore though in second, meaning it would take something drastic for the top two places to be altered heading into the final quarter of the competition. Scotland's Charlie Aldridge and Cameron Orr of Northern Ireland were the chasing duo with the Kiwis as the quartet opened up a lead on the rest of the pack. After the sprint start at Cannock Chase Forest, Gaze got himself to the front of the 26-man field early in the race with fellow Kiwi Oliver sitting behind him in second.

The results are in from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. The mountain bike event was held at Cannock Chase Forest. Check out the results below ...

5th. Joseph BLACKMORE (ENG) 1:36:29 +2:10 4th. Cameron ORR (NIR) 1:36:29 +2:10 1st. Evie RICHARDS (ENG) 1:34:59

Sam Gaze wins gold for New Zealand in Wednesday's men's mountain biking event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Cannock Chase.

Miller entered the forest on the back wheel of both of his rivals but returned to the grass well clear, the 21-year-old ecstatic as he crossed the line after a remarkable comeback. However, the pair seemingly paid too much attention to retaining track position, subsequently losing time and allowing Namibia's Alexander Miller to quickly make it a three-horse race ahead of the final lap. A gap of 31 seconds separated the two New Zealand representatives, the final two laps for each rider being a relatively formality in comparison to the battle going on for bronze behind them.

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"Going into the season I had big goals and this makes it all worth it." Going into the season I had big goals and this makes it all worth it "It was about keeping composure and control my breathing, all these things that allow you to calm the mind and get the most out of it.

Ben Oliver nets silver, Evie Richards wins women's cross country race for England ahead of Australia's Zoe Cuthbert.

"I knew I wasn't the strongest but I just had to try. It's been a long time since my family have watched me race and to be a world champion on home soil, it doesn't happen very much," Richards said. "I had a bad back in February and this is the first race with no pain, no tears. It's made me who I am today and to come back this year, I like to think as a version of myself I'm proud of, is very special." "I've known him since he was 14 years old, and he's a great guy. Gaze, who races for Alpecin-Deceuninck credited his road team for helping him get back on track after sustaining a head injury in 2019 and suffering from depression.

Sam Gaze, returning to the top of the podium a better athlete and person, today sent a message of a different kind to Anton Cooper.

"I just wanted to empty the tank," Gaze said. For sure, it's been a turbulent four years, and I've had my ups and downs, but I'm a lot more proud of this version of myself coming back four years later. "Just to race my bike as fast as I can, to ride from the heart and enjoy every minute of today. "We're living in a golden era for the sport of mountain biking in New Zealand, and we deserved three people on the podium today," Gaze said with gold around his neck. The pair's duel produced the most compelling moment of the Gold Coast Games, with Gaze out-sprinting Cooper to take victory on the line. He suffered from depression after what should have been the highlight of his career, having previously claimed silver behind Cooper in 2014.

Sam Gaze won his second-straight gold medal, after edging his teammate Ben Oliver in a two-horse race at Birmingham.