Tokyo Olympics: Mixed bag for the Netherlands while Walls takes omnium gold for Great Britain

By Sports Desk August 05, 2021

The Netherlands had reason to celebrate and cause for concern at the Izu Cycling Centre on Thursday, while Great Britain's Matthew Walls stormed to victory in the omnium.

Olympic debutant Shanne Braspennincx capped an incredible comeback from a heart attack six years ago to take gold in the women's keirin final, as the Netherlands defended the title Elis Ligtlee won in Rio 2016.

However, her triumph came after team-mate Laurine van Riessen had crashed out in the quarter-finals, taking Team GB's Katy Marchant with her.

Van Riessen was knocked unconscious and had to be taken off the track on a stretcher before she was transferred to hospital for further checks.

"Coach Hugo [Haak] said that our team doctor is with her. I sent her a message but it all went so fast and I had to go on," Braspennincx said when asked about Van Riessen's injury.

"Hugo does that. He told me she's in good hands; you have to focus on your own race now. I was worried about her, she went to the hospital, but at that moment I had to make the switch and focus on myself.

"It's tough to see. I know it's part of [racing] but this is what you really don't want and she was in very good shape as well."

Van Riessen clipped the wheel in front of her as she was about to enter the final lap, sliding straight into the unfortunate Marchant in the process.

"I think that’s just bike racing, wrong place, wrong time, I just hope everyone's okay that was in the crash. I think I'm okay, just a bit battered and bruised but I'm alright," Marchant told BBC Sport.

"I needed to finish the race in case there was something that came up on the results. I'm not really sure what happened, wrong place, wrong time, I just got caught up it in it."

A SURREAL SUCCESS

Braspennincx's triumph is made even more remarkable by the heart attack she suffered in 2015.

The Netherlands have now won the women's keirin event on two of the three times it has been held at the Olympic Games, and it brought up the nation's 10th gold medal on the track.

She finished ahead of Ellesse Andrews – the second woman from New Zealand to win an Olympic medal in the velodrome after Sarah Ulmer in 2004 – and Canada's Lauriane Genest. 

"I'll have to let it sink in first, it feels surreal," Braspennincx said. "I can't believe it. I don't know what it was like. I went in the moment, I had to go and I held it. 

"I think every athlete can say it's a very long [journey], especially this one. In Rio I was a spare rider because I had an injury. I had a long way to come back, and to celebrate it like this is worth it.

"There is amazing medical stuff still behind me. They tested me through, through and through in order to get the green light. In January 2016 I got to be an athlete again. My journey started again, really, really slow, and with a lot of stuff back. And now I am here in 2021, all good."

TEAM GB'S WONDER WALLS

Despite Marchant's disappointment, there was joy for Team GB in the men's omnium, as 23-year-old Olympic debutant Walls claimed gold in dominant fashion.

Walls, who tested positive for COVID-19 in March, accumulated 153 points across the four disciplines – with the entire event condensed into the space of three hours – to finish ahead of Campbell Stewart and defending champion Elia Viviani.

It brought up Team GB's first track cycling gold at Tokyo, adding to their successes in the BMX and mountain biking events.

Team GB have now won 16 golds and 50 medals overall at the close of racing at the velodrome. Ed Clancy (2012) and Mark Cavendish (2016) have previously taken bronze and silver in the men's omnium, while Laura Kenny goes into Sunday's women's event as the two-time defending Olympic champion.

"I managed to get a good lead coming into the end. It's been a hard day but I came into that points race with a bit of a lead and breathing room," Walls told BBC Sport.

Britain are the first nation to win three Olympic medals in the men's omnium, while Team GB have now won gold in nine of the current 12 events held on the cycling track at the Games.

Stewart's silver, meanwhile, means New Zealand have taken 19 medals in Tokyo, surpassing their record tally of 18, set five years ago in Rio.

WORLD CHAMPION LAVREYSEN ENDS KENNY'S DEFENCE

Jason Kenny's defence of his Olympic gold in the men's sprint came to an end as he was overcome by Dutch world champion Harrie Lavreysen.

Kenny took gold in London and Rio, but the 33-year-old's reign is now over, and Lavreysen looks good to push on for the biggest prize.

The Dutchman was pushed hard in his two races against Kenny, however, with the Team GB rider forcing a two-lap sprint in the second quarter-final heat before Lavreysen pulled away on the final turn.

Lavreysen must get past another Briton in the semi-finals, with Jack Carlin up next.

Carlin looked sharp and showed complete control in his quarter-final win over Maximilian Levy of Germany.

"Another day in the bag, see what happens tomorrow but the legs are feeling good, it's all to play for tomorrow," Carlin told BBC Sport.

"My legs are feeling alright, they're sore but everyone's are sore at this point of the week. I think we take each race as it comes, stick to our principles, keep calm and what will be, will be."

Asked about Kenny's valiant effort, Carlin added: "I think you saw today he was struggling a bit from fatigue. He still went out there and gave it his all, that's what Olympic champions do."

The other semi-final will see Denis Dmitriev face the Netherlands' Jeffrey Hoogland, meaning the Dutch are guaranteed a medal.

Related items

  • Llori Sharpe claims historic gold for Jamaica at the 2024 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships Llori Sharpe claims historic gold for Jamaica at the 2024 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships

     Jamaican cyclist Llori Sharpe made history this weekend, powering to gold in the Elite Women’s Road Race at the 2024 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships, marking the first time a Jamaican woman has claimed the Caribbean Champion title at the elite level in road racing.

    The two-day championship event was held in Georgetown, Guyana, and saw the Jamaican contingent, led by Coach Carlton Simmonds, deliver mixed results across several competitive races. The team comprised four riders: Sharpe, Andrew Ramsay, Obrian Madourie, and Damaine Douglas.

    Day one saw Sharpe and Madourie in action in the Individual Time Trial, covering 18km and 36km, respectively. Sharpe narrowly missed out on a podium finish, coming in fourth and missing bronze by just 30 seconds. Madourie finished seventh in his category, putting in a commendable effort.

    However, it was on day two that Sharpe cemented her place in the history books. Competing in the Elite Women’s Road Race, she bided her time before surging ahead in the final kilometre of the 67km course, distancing herself from the pack to secure the gold medal. Bermuda's Gabriella Arnold claimed silver, while Berenice Paul of Guadeloupe rounded out the podium with a bronze.

    This victory marked a remarkable improvement over Sharpe's silver-medal finish at the 2023 championships in Guadeloupe and set a new standard for Jamaican women in Caribbean road cycling.

    While Sharpe shone on day two, other members of the Jamaican team faced challenges. Douglas, competing as an under-23 rider in the grueling 155km event, was dealt a setback after a flat tyre forced him to fall behind the main peloton, finishing in 12th place. Ramsay finished 24th in the Elite Men’s event, and unfortunately, Madourie did not complete the race.

    Cory Williams of Belize won the men’s elite title, with Jesus Cespedes from the Dominican Republic and Guyana's John Briton securing second and third, respectively.

    .

  • Barcelona 3-1 Espanyol: Olmo brace sends Blaugrana nine points clear Barcelona 3-1 Espanyol: Olmo brace sends Blaugrana nine points clear

    Barcelona moved nine points clear at the LaLiga summit following a 3-1 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby.

    Dani Olmo scored twice while Raphinha was also on target as Hansi Flick's side stretched their advantage over second-place Real Madrid, whose scheduled showdown with Valencia this weekend was postponed.

    Barca broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes. Olmo latched onto Lamine Yamal's brilliant throughball with the outside of his boot, before beating Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia with a well-taken first-time finish.

    The hosts doubled their lead 11 minutes later with Marc Casado finding Raphinha, who bravely lifted over the advancing Garcia.

    It was 3-0 just after the half-hour mark, as Olmo received Alejandro Balde's pass before drilling home from the edge of the penalty area.

    Espanyol, who saw two goals disallowed following VAR reviews, pulled one back when Javi Puado turned home Carlos Romero's cross in the 63rd minute.

    However, it proved a consolation for the visitors, who suffered their sixth defeat in seven league games. 

    Data Debrief: Free-scoring Barca maintain derby dominance

    Now unbeaten in 27 LaLiga derbies against Espanyol, Barcelona have now scored 40 goals this season; their second-highest tally after the first 12 games of a LaLiga season (42 in 1950-51).

    Following Olmo's brace, which took his tally for the campaign to five, the Blaugrana are the only team with four different players to have scored at least five goals in Europe's top five leagues this term.

    In setting up Raphinha's goal, Casado is the first Barca player from Spain to provide an assist in three successive games in all competitions since at least the 2014-15 season.

  • Zverev soars past Humbert to claim Paris Masters crown Zverev soars past Humbert to claim Paris Masters crown

    Alexander Zverev soared to the Paris Masters title following a commanding 6-2 6-2 victory over home favourite Ugo Humbert in the final.

    The German took just 75 minutes to seal his seventh career ATP Masters triumph, and second silverware of the season.

    Humbert received a raucous reception as he aimed to become the first Frenchman to win this event since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008.

    However, the crowd were silenced when Zverev broke in the third and fifth games on his way to taking the opening set.

    The Italian Open champion also dominated the second set, dropping just five points on serve as he wrapped up a comfortable victory.

    "I knew I had to play like this to win today," Zverev said. "Ugo is an incredible player, but here in Paris, he plays even better than he usually does, and I knew that.

    "Once the crowd gets involved, it's going to be difficult. So, I had to take that away early, and I did, so I'm happy about that."

    Zverev was also delighted to triumph in Paris, and demonstrate the strides he has made since suffering a horrifying ankle injury during his 2022 French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal.

    "It was not 100% guaranteed that I would be back at this level," he added. "So, to win this title here in Paris means the world to me, and I'm sure it means everything to those in my box, because they have done so much for me."

    Data Debrief: Zverev surpasses Medvedev and matches Sinner

    Runner-up to Daniil Medvedev in 2020, Zverev went one better at the Accor Arena four years later, and will be seeded second at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

    The second German to win this event after Boris Becker, he surpassed Medvedev (six) with his seventh ATP Masters crown the outright most of any player born since the format's inception in 1990.

    Zverev also matched world number one Jannik Sinner for the joint-most match wins in ATP Masters events this season with 28.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.