Carlin claims Commonwealth silver in Birmingham

Jack Carlin could cross your palm with silver and not run out.

The Paisley peddler has won eight silver medals now across major championships, the latest coming in close-run Commonwealth keirin silver.

Carlin, who won Olympic team sprint silver in Tokyo, is staying patient and knows he won’t be the bridesmaid for much longer.

He said: “It’s another silver, I came here for gold.

“I’m not here to make up numbers and as much as medals are nice, there’s only one you really want. Time will tell if I get one or not.

“I race because I enjoy racing in front of crowds, the medals are bonuses in many respects.

“I’ve not got a gold yet but I’m 25, there are still two years to Paris and I still feel like I’m getting stronger. I just need to trust the process and hopefully it will come.”

Gold at London’s velodrome was won by Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicholas Paul, the 200m time trial world record holder, who stole a march on the field with a surge launched with a lap to go.

Carlin conceded he misjudged his set-up from second round to the final but had no complaints. the

He said: “I mucked up my gear choice in the final.

“It’s hard to get those big gears going by yourself nowadays, but hindsight is a lovely thing. Nicholas was a deserving winner.”

This keirin competition will forever be remembered for a sickening crash to Carlin’s former housemate Joe Truman, riding for Team England.

The 25-year-old crashed into Australian defending champion Matt Glaetzer and amid flying debris was knocked unconscious, receiving oxygen from trackside medics.

Carlin was just ahead of Webster when the crash happened.

He said: “There’s nothing worse than watching your mate crash.

“Joe is very strong willed and a strong character. I don’t know if I could have come back from the things he’s come back from and dealt with.

“This is another hiccup in the road for him. He’s still two years away (from Paris) and looking really promising. He’ll be back stronger no doubt.

“He’s such a talented rider and it’s the consistency he’s been missing, he was starting to find it.

“Hopefully it’s not too serious and he’ll be back on the bike again in a matter of weeks.”

Meanwhile bronze was a boon for Neah Evans in the women’s 3000m individual pursuit.

The non-Olympic discipline doesn’t normally figure in the Aberdeen star’s racing plans as a lynchpin of Britain’s endurance team bound for Paris and Tokyo silver medallist.

Evans crashed through her personal best and set a British record in qualifying with 3:23.476 seeing her advance third fastest.

She backed up well and overwhelmed Australia’s Sarah Roy in the bronze medal run-off to claim her third Commonwealth medal.

Evans said: “I wasn't really sure where we would be at coming in but I couldn't really have done more.

"There were two people that were quicker than me today, which is always a little bit frustrating, but it's the nature of the event. It's so honest, there is no hiding.

"It's not normally an event that I focus on, it's a little bit of an unknown, so I was quite pleased with it."

There was to be no repeat medal performance from John Archibald in the men’s 4000m individual pursuit.

Katie’s brother won silver at Gold Coast 2018 but was some way short of podium pace this time, finishing fifth in qualifying with a time of 4:12.541s.

Team-mate Kyle Gordon finished fifth and both have bunch race ambitions in the two days of racing that remain.

National Lottery players raise more than £30million a week for good causes including vital funding into sport – from grassroots to elite. Find out how your numbers make amazing happen at: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtag: #TNLAthletes.