Track Cycling 2020 Tokyo Olympic Review
- Cain Bradley
- Sep 17, 2022
- 11 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Men’s Keirin
Rayan Helal (France) won the first heat, sending Jason Kenny (Great Britain) and Sam Webster (New Zealand) to the repechage. The second heat saw a big crash which meant a re-ride, won by Jack Carlin (Great Britain). Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia) won heat three, whilst Yutai Nidda (Japan) took the fourth heat, sending Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) to the repechage. The final heat saw Yuki Watimoto (Japan) take the win. Both Lavreysen and Kenny came through the repechage. In the first quarter-final, it was Quintero Chavarro (Colombia) who took the win, whilst Nicholas Paul (Trinidad and Tobago) tookthe second and Watimoto winning the third. Kenny won the first semi-final, qualifying alongside Matthew Glaetzer (Australia) and Jair Tjon En Fa (Suriname). In the second, it was Awang ahead of Maximilian Levy (Germany) and Lavreysen. In the final, Kenny sat behind the derny and as it left the track Kenny attacked to take a massive lead. It was an incredible performance as he left everyone else half a lap behind.
🥇Jason Kenny 🇬🇧
🥈Azizulhasni Awang 🇲🇾
🥉Harrie Lavreysen 🇳🇱
Men’s Madison
It was France and Great Britain who took the early lead on ten points apiece. By halfway, Great Britain led on 20, just one ahead of Denmark. France launched an attack and the scores were soon reversed, with Denmark leading on 33, ahead of France on 32 and Great Britain on 26. Spain aggressively pursued a lap, only to be pulled back before Belgium launched an attack. With just one final sprint to go Denmark led on 41, ahaed of France on 36, Britain on 30 and Belgium on 26. Britain, aware of the threat of the double points in the final sprint, chased aggressively and tried to steal a lap that would confirm gold. They were unable to do, but held on to win silver behind Belgium.
🥇Belgium 🇧🇪
🥈Great Britain 🇬🇧
🥉France 🇫🇷
Men’s Omnium
The opening scratch race was, as always, a tactical affair. Szymon Sajnok (Poland) and David Maree (South Africa) were first to try to open a gap but were slowly reeled in. Just before the halfway mark, Niklas Larsen (Denmark) attempted a break. He was eventually joined by Matthew Walls (Great Britain), Benjamin Thomas (France), Jan Willem van Schip (Netherlands) and Artyom Zakharov (Kazakhstan), with the group gaining a lap. At the finish line, Walls beat Thomas and van Schip. In the tempo race, the early breakaway came from Thomas, Larsen, Ella Viviani (Italy), Kenny de Ketele (Belgium) and Thery Schir (Switzerland). Walls and Sajnok launched their own attack behind, also gaining a lap to earn the valuable 20 points for taking a lap. Gavin Hoover (United States), Albert Torres Barcelo (Spain) and van Schip were the next rider to join. The Dutchman won the tempo win ahead of Thomas, Walls and Schir. This left van Schip, Walls and Thomas all tied on 76 overall points. In the elimination race, an early shock came as Roger Kluge (Germany) went out before Sajnok exited on the following elimination. With ten remaining, it was de Ketele who went eliminated, with Thomas just passing him on the line. With just six remaining it was Thomas eliminated. Campbell Stewart (New Zealand) was fifth with van Schip fourth. Schir took third and in the battle for first, Walls got the early lead but Viviani soon passed him. Heading into the final race, Walls led on 114, ahead of van Schip on 110 and Thomas on 106. Kluge took an early lap with Yauheni Karaliok (Belarus) but neither were really in medal contention. Walls and Hoover then earned a lap themselves. Stewart was next to gain a lap, before Viviani took a massive acceleration looking to get a lap of his own, soon to be joined by Kluge and Karaliok. As the trio joined back onto the main group, the standings stood Walls 140, Thomas 112, Viviani 112, van Schip 110 and Stewart 104. Viviani moved ahead of Thomas with a fourth in the seventh sprint. Walls kept an eye on the attacks, knowing he would win as long as he was not lapped. In sprint eight it was Viviani again beating Thomas. Stewart attempted a breakaway which would earn him a medal place. He just about managed to seal the lap, with a lap to go to allow him to take silver.
🥇Matthew Walls 🇬🇧
🥈Campbell Stewart 🇳🇿
🥉Ella Viviani 🇮🇹
Men’s Team Pursuit
Canada was the first team out and rode a 3.50.455, finishing just outside the Olympic record. Germany were a further 0.375 behind. Italy then set a new Olympic record with a massive 3.45.895. New Zealand followed by beating the old record with a 3.46.079. Denmark, the current world record holders, could not quite beat their own world record but beat the Olympic record again, with a 3.45.014. An awful crash for Australia, saw a handle come off a bike, meaning they got to do a re-run. Great Britain only managed 3.47.507, leaving them relying on the Australians failing to beat their time in order to make the medal rides. Unsurprisingly given what had gone on before, the Australians were not able to beat the British time. Australia set an Olympic record of 3.44.902 in their heat, but Italy would destroy that with a 3.42.307 world record. In a controversial final heat, the third Danish rider rode into the back of the British rider who had been distanced. It was eventually decided Denmark would go through to the gold medal final, having caught the British team. The battle for bronze was incredible close at halfway. However, a crash happened for New Zealand as the final rider touched wheels with the bike in front and took a spill. This saw the team disengage and Australia cruise to a catch. In the final, Italy held an edge of 0.142 at halfway. Denmark stole back the lead at 2500m as they both dropped the third rider. At 3000m, Denmark had opened the lead up to 0.867, but Italy gradually begun to close the gap. With 125m to go, Italy was back within a tenth of a second and they would cross the line as gold medal winners, setting a world record.
🥇Italy 🇮🇹
🥈Denmark 🇩🇰
🥉Australia 🇦🇺
Men’s Sprint
In qualifying, Jack Carlin (Great Britain) was not considered one of the main favourites but laid down an impressive Olympic record of 9.306 seconds, which had the field chasing him. It was not until the final ten, that riders begun to come close. Nigel Paul (Trinidad and Tobago) clocked 9.316, while the only two riders to beat his time were the Dutch pair of Jeffrey Hoogland (Netherlands) and Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands), who also both recorded a joint Olympic record of 9.306. Maximilian Levy (Germany) scored the first upset as he edged Jair Tjon En Fa (Suriname), whilst Sam Webster (New Zealand) beat Mateusz Rudyk (Poland). Tjon En Fa fought his way back in through the repechage. In the following round, the favourites all made their way through in the round of sixteen clashes, but Tjon En Fa was eliminated in the repechage. The top five seeds made their way through rather easily. In the final race, Levy managed to catch Webster on the outside. Jason Kenny (Great Britain) won the first repechage, with Sebastien Vigier (France) taking the other. The four highest seeds all won the first quarter-final races. It would be the same in the second race, aside from Denis Dmitriev (Russia), who defeated Paul after he was relegated for deviating off his line. Dmitriev the won the third race, making the final four Hoogland, Lavreysen, Carlin and Dmitriev. In the opening semi-finals, the Dutch riders both took the first race on the track and followed it up in race two, despite both of the races being closer. Carlin won the opening race in the bronze medal event. The final saw a fast-paced contest with Hoogland edging a photo. Carlin took the second race to win the bronze medal. The second race between the Dutch riders swung back and forth and Lavreysen managed to edge Hoogland on the line to send it to a third race. In the final race, Hoogland took the lead with a sharp move two laps from the finish. As the bell ring it was Hoogland in the lead, but Lavreysen would come round the outside and take the most comfortable victory of the three.
🥇Harrie Lavreysen 🇳🇱
🥈Jeffrey Hoogland 🇳🇱
🥉Jack Carlin 🇬🇧
Men’s Team Sprint
Australia set an Olympic record of 42.371, ahead of Russia, who set the initial fastest time of 43.097. The Netherlands then went faster in their attempt, setting a time of 42.134. France slotted into third with a 42.722, with New Zealand only able to go into fourth place with a 43.066. Great Britain moved into second with a 42.232. In the quarter-finals, France beat New Zealand with a 42.294, whilst Australia would edge Russia with an Olympic record 42.103. Great Britain would go faster with a 41.829 only for Netherlands to go even faster with a 41.431. In the bronze medal matchup, the third Australian could not keep touch with his teammates, despite the first two cycling really well. France took bronze in 42.331 time with Matthew Glaetzer disconnecting from his team. In the final, Britain led the first lap by 0.091, but again the final rider was disconnected, this time for Britain. The Netherlands would improve on their Olympic record to 41.369.
🥇Netherlands 🇳🇱
🥈Great Britain 🇬🇧
🥉France 🇫🇷
Women’s Keirin
The heats saw numerous shocks. Katy Marchant (Great Britain) won heat one but was relegated due to an illegal move, handing the win to Laurine van Riessen (Netherlands). Lea Friedrich (Germany), Kelsey Mitchell (Canada), Olena Starikova (Ukraine) and Lauriane Genest (Canada) were the other heat winners. Perhaps the biggest surprise of those not making the semi-finals were Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) and Anastasiia Voinova (Russia). The quarter-finals were incredibly competitive. Lee Wai Sze (Hong Kong) won the first heat with Marchant taken out by van Riessen, costing them semi-final places. In the second semi, it was Shanne Braspennincx (Netherlands) with Mathilde Gros (France) and Friedrich both going out. Mitchell won the third quarter-final. Wai Sze and Tianshi Zhong (China) both missed out on qualification to the final, with Starikova winning the first semi. In the second semi, Emma Hinze (Germany) took the early lead only for Mitchell to take charge with two laps to go. On the bell, it was Braspennincx who led with Hinze and Kaarle McCulloch (Australia) knocked out. In the final, it was the Ukrainians who led the field out. Braspennincx led with a lap to go and managed to hold on around the corner to take gold.
🥇Shanne Braspennincx 🇳🇱
🥈Ellesse Andrews 🇳🇿
🥉Lauriane Genest 🇨🇦
Women’s Madison
France attempted an early attack, but it was closed down eventually by Great Britain, Italy and the Netherlands. Great Britain won the first three sprints ahead of the Netherlands. The first team to take a sprint other than Britain was Australia. At halfway, Great Britain had scored 27, ahead of the Netherlands on 13. Soon France launched another attack but Britain quickly reeled them in. The duo dominated a sprint before being joined by Denmark, Russia and Belgium. France was soon dropped and a crash for Belgium appeared to end their challenge. Soon the trio had gained a lap. Through the first 11 laps, Britain had won 9 sprints, a third and a fourth. The final sprint was worth double points and Britain took a massive victory, ahead of Denmark and the Netherlands in third. The third for the Netherlands was not enough to get them into a medal position. Britain ended on 78 points, a massive 43 ahead of the next team.
🥇Great Britain 🇬🇧
🥈Denmark 🇩🇰
🥉Russia 🇷🇺
Women’s Omnium
The scratch race saw no early attacks, leading to a tightly packed field. The pace picked up with six laps to go, but the riders remained separated by only bike lengths. Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) took the lead with three laps to go only to be passed by Annette Edmondson (Australia). Heading into the final laps, there were two massive crashes including Laura Kenny (Great Britain), Lotte Kopecky (Belgium), Elisa Balsamo (Italy) and Clara Copponi (France). The race was won by Jennifer Valente (United States) ahead of Yumi Kajihara (Japan) and Edmondson. With ten laps to go in the tempo race, Kenny and Wild were tied. Kenny went on to take the victory ahead of Wild and Valente. That left the standings with Valente on 76 and Wild and Kajihara tied on 70. Edmondson suffered a shock early exit in the elimination race, going out second. Balsamo was another to be eliminated early, whilst Kenny and Wild did not even make the top ten. Valente was eliminated in fourth place, with Amalie Dideriksen (Denmark) in third. In the final sprint, it was Copponi who got the win over Kajihara in second. Heading into the points race, Valente led on 110, ahead of Kajihara on 108 with Anita Yvonne Stenberg (Norway) on 94 and Dideriksen on 92. Dideriksen launched an attack with just over 50 laps to go, and was soon joined by Wild, but by halfway they had been pulled back in. With two sprints remaining Valente, led Kajihara and Dideriksen as most of the sprints had been taken by a breakaway. The seventh sprint went to Wild ahead of Dideriksen, leaving Wild in third.
🥇Jennifer Valente 🇺🇸
🥈Yumi Kajihara 🇯🇵
🥉Kirsten Wild 🇳🇱
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