World champion Martha Bayona and home favourite Taky Marie Divine Kouamé were the big names not to make it to day two of the women’s keirin competition at the Paris Olympics.
Riders needed a first or second place finish in either the opening round or the repechages, to make it through to the quarter final stage.
Bayona was disappointing in her first round race, and simply couldn’t find her way to the front in her repechage. Koumé was a distant third behind Finucane and Friedrich at the first time of asking; then got trapped on the inside in a chaotic final lap of her rep, with the timekeeper neglecting to ring the bell.
But overall, the results were predictable, with no real surprises. Things will start relatively comfortably on day two, with a fourth place finish in the quarter finals enough to make the semis. An hour later, you’ll need to be top three to make the final – and someone will be earning a gold medal 60 minutes later.
First round
Heat 1: New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews started in second position, moving safely ahead of the inexperienced Nigerian rider Ukpeseraye as the pacer left the track. Gros came over the top of both riders with two to go, but Andrews surged out of corner four to retake the lead. Great Britain’s Marchant followed, looking for an overlap, but the line came just too soon.
Heat 2: Van de Wouw of the Netherlands started at the back of the line, which was very stretched out as the pacer departed. China’s Yuan moved to the front, taking Japan’s Ohta behind her, prompting a reaction from the Dutch rider who led at the bell. Canada’s Genest moved up the track but couldn’t find the speed to put her in a qualifying position. Van de Wouw won it, with Yuan second, and a visible gap to third.
Heat 3: Emma Hinze also started from position six, but she took first place ahead of China’s Guo as the derny left the track, and she simply wasn’t going to give it up. Poland’s Karwacka was boxed on the inside, but she maintained her pace, and was given the same time as Guo at the finish, but it’s the Chinese rider who took the place in round two. Colombia’s Bayona was never better than fourth.
Heat 4: Belgium’s Nicky Degrendele claimed the front at the first opportunity, but she had fallen back to third at the bell, behind Petch and van der Peet. They were four high at the end, with Degrendele coming over the top of the leaders – and Japan’s Sato showing all her experience, appearing from nowhere at the finish line for second by just 0.005s.
Heat 5: A predictable win for Great Britain’s Emma Finucane, the overall favourite for the event, with Germany’s Friedrich a close second, and a big gap to the rest. Finucane charged to the front with two laps to go, and only Friedrich could get on terms with her.
Repechages
Heat 1: With three big names drawn together, and only two places in the next round, we were going to get a big name casualty in this one – and it was the reigning world champion, Martha Bayona. Marchant upped the pace from the back with two to go, prompting Mitchell to push to the front, and Bayona found herself boxed. The Colombian found a way out but had to go high, and couldn’t turn it into speed to the line.
Heat 2: Los attacked from fourth position, dragging Clonan behind her. Gaxiola somehow squeezed between Cuadrado and Vece, slotting in behind the Australian. But Los couldn’t hold the pace and dropped to the back. Vece pressed hard into the home straight, but Clonan and Gaxiola held on to progress to tomorrow.
Heat 3: Genest and Petch seemed safe bets to go through in this one, and so it proved. The pair were at the back with a lap and half remaining, but they were both well clear by the end.
Heat 4: Taky Marie Divine Kouamé was first to take her place at the start, and she led into the final lap, but the Parisian was last to finish. Instead it was Japan’s Ohta and Steffie van der Peet of the Netherlands who went through.
