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Australia's Kaarle McCulloch, right and teammate Anna Meares, show off their bronze medals. Matt Rourke/AP/Press Association Images
London 2012

Fan arrested for abusing cyclist's parents

Aussie rider, Kaarle McCulloch’s mother Karen and step-father Ken Bates reportedly faced a stream of insults during a dramatic evening at the Velodrome.

A SPECTATOR HAS been arrested after an Australian cyclist’s family was apparently subjected to a torrent of abuse at the Velodrome, LOCOG said.

Kaarle McCulloch’s mother Karen and step-father Ken Bates reportedly faced a stream of insults during a dramatic Thursday which saw Team GB storm to gold in the men’s team sprint at the Stratford track.

Three people were later banished from the cycling venue, one of whom was held by police, organisers confirmed. A LOCOG spokesman said: “Three spectators were ejected — one of whom was arrested — for abusive behaviour at the Velodrome on Thursday evening.

“We won’t tolerate abusive behaviour in our venues.” After taking the bronze medal, McCulloch’s team-mate Anna Meares defended the 24-year-old.

“I don’t like to hear people make the comment that ‘it’s your position that lost it for us tonight,’” Meares said. ”We ride out there as a team.”

Meares and McCulloch are three-time world champions in the team sprint, but Germany took that title earlier this year in Melbourne. But Meares understands how tough it must be for McCulloch to follow her.

“The position Kaarle is in, teaming up with me, is a difficult one,” Meares said.  ”I kind of overshadow her a bit and I make it very difficult for her in the position that she rides.  I do have the fastest standing lap of any woman in the world and she has to match it.

“So she’s burning energy, and she’s burning more energy than a lot of women in second wheel. She not only has to hang on to the fastest woman in the world, but to match the fastest women in the world in the second position; (Great Britain’s) Victoria Pendleton and (Germany’s) Kristina Vogel.

“I think she holds her own, and I think she should be proud,” she added.

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