NSWIS cyclist Ashlee Ankudinoff has helped the Australian team pursuit secure fifth place at the Rio velodrome.

It was Ankudinoff’s first ride of the Games, replacing Melissa Hoskins as Australia outclassed Italy in the ride-off.

It was a campaign that was setback before it even started for the Australians following a nasty crash at race speed in training earlier in the week.

Ankudinoff was one of four riders who fell to the track, with Hoskins the lone rider taken to hospital.

But when the team was assembled for qualifying on Thursday, Hoskins took her place and Ankudinoff was missing from the line-up.

It was then revealed that Ankudinoff was indeed suffering the most from a shoulder and rib injury, with coach Gary Sutton saying the 25-year-old was struggling to breath as a result of the crash.

“There’s two of us that are struggling physically from the crash on Monday at the moment, Ash and I, who came off probably the hardest out of all. And for us it has been a real challenge,” Hoskins said after qualifying.

She bravely was back on the bike for the final ride of the campaign.

The Australians dominated from the outset and the race at times resembled a training drill.

Ankudinoff led the Australian team out of the gates and quickly established a commanding lead en route to a victory by more than seven seconds.

“I mean it hurt, but not as much as missing out on the Olympics,” Ankudinoff told the AOC website.

“It was definitely playing on my mind but my legs were screaming more than my chest was hurting so I knew I just had to push through it and help these girls get a fifth so it was worthwhile.”

“We’re just happy we got to do a ride and do Australia proud.”

The Australians had earlier missed out on the chance to ride for a medal, being beaten by the USA in world record time.

Great Britain went on to win the gold medal.

Australia’s table tennis campaign, featuring NSWIS player Chris (Xin) Yan is over following a 3-0 loss to Hong Kong.

Yan lost his battle with Chun Ting Wong 11-7, 11-6, 11-2 before teaming with Heming Hu in the doubles. They lost that 11-2, 11-5, 11-6.

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