Will’s Youth Commonwealth Games Gold seals 24-carat friendship

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete, Keira Will described it as “crazy” to think she and her great friend Lauren Bates have graduated from competing against each against each other since they were “kids” to both becoming Youth Commonwealth Games champions.

Will, aged 17 and considered one of Australian cycling’s great young prospects, won the Trinibago 55km women’s road race after she and Bates, from the ACT, joined hands towards the finish line. Will was named the victor in a time of 1:29:00 after officials needed to examin a photograph to split the pair.

It reversed the result for the women’s time trial where Bates took the gold and Will clinched the silver. The victory adds to Will’s growing reputation after she dominated the Oceania Track Cycling Championships by taking out the Omnium, Madison and Team Pursuit titles.

Bates broke away from the peloton soon after reaching the 10km mark, but Will joined her towards the backend. The pair then joined hands as they crossed the finish line, and after being presented with her gold medal an ecstatic Will paid tribute to Bates.

“That was great,” she said. “I was happy Lauren was able to get away and sit with the bunch until I had my chance to join her. I had to get out by myself and help her, and it was good to be able to do that.

“From there we just went hard together until the end.

“Lauren and I are teammates, but also great friends. To think of when we were kids racing around New South Wales to now is pretty crazy.”

Will is now set to join fellow NSWIS athlete Liliya Tatarinoff – the Australian record holder for the Under-17 500m Time Trial and Team Sprint, the Under-19 500m Time Trial and is the Keirin Oceania champion – at the veledrome.

Daniel Lane, NSWIS