Kurt Eather successfully defends elimination race national title

Kurt Eather has claimed back-to-back elite men's elimination race national championships in a confusing end to Friday night's racing at the 2025 AusCycling Track National Championships.

Silence fell upon Anna Meares Velodrome in the closing stages of the elimination race, with a no decision call effectively deciding the race.

Eather and New South Wales teammate Cameron Scott looked to have clearly eliminated Tasmanian Josh Duffy, only for the call to be reversed nearly a lap later due to uncertainty of an infringement in the sprint between Duffy and Eather.

The no decision call brought Duffy back into the race, but at the same time it was Eather who attacked clear from Scott, who was looking back at Duffy.

Eather continued on despite being visibly confused about the race situation, while behind him Duffy eliminated a frustrated Scott.

The end of the race finished with both Duffy and Eather rolling in the last elimination, half a lap away from each other.

Nearly 10 minutes later Eather was confirmed as the national champion, while Duffy was relegated to bronze after commissaires deemed he created the previously mentioned sprint infringement by putting his shoulder into Eather.

The reversal of minor medals meant Scott finished as the silver medallist.

Despite the messy ending, Eather said he was happy to defend his title.

"I really wanted to come here this week and defend this so to tick that one off is really good, hopefully it can make the rest of the weekend go pretty well," Eather said.

"I was going for that last sprint and I kind of heard no decision but I wasn't sure so I just kept going and then they said I had to keep going even longer, so I threw my hand up because I was bit unsure but then I saw Josh and Cam sprint again and I was still out front. I had to make a decision to either wait or keep going, I kept going and Josh sat up.

"Just having a few teammates out there definitely helps because every now and again one of them might let you out. It's good to see the CCACHE boys (all three medallists are trade team teammates) going really well and I'm sure Sam (Layzell) will be happy with that."

Feature picture: Mackenzie Sweetnam