CANADIAN CYCLISTS TAKE ON THE OMNIUM AND THE KEIRIN AT PARIS 2024
St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, FRA (Aug. 8, 2024) – Things didn’t go as planned for the Canadian athletes in action at the St-Quentin-en-Yvelines national velodrome for the women’s keirin and men’s omnium events held on August 8.
With a medal in his sights, Canada’s Dylan Bibic, starting in the men’s omnium, had to be content with a 19th-place finish well below his expectations. Right from the first race of the four cumulative events – the scratch race, where he finished 16th – the Mississauga, Ontario-born rider mentioned that he wasn’t feeling his usual self. The feeling was confirmed at the end of the tempo race, where he finished in 21st place, collecting just one point for the overall total.
The elimination race being his favorite event, having won the honors at the Milton Nations’ Cup in April, he was only able to obtain twelfth place allowing him to accumulate 18 points, but the damage had been done. His fate was decided by not collecting any additional points in the points race, and he finished 19th, having accumulated only 29 points.
“This omnium meant a lot to him,” said national team coach Laura Brown. “We still believe in him and we’re proud of the way he fought through this brutal event, where there’s no time to recover. He fought and finished, and we’re proud of that.”
France’s Benjamin Thomas took the Olympic title, while Portugal’s Iuri Leitao and Belgium’s Fabio van den Bossche took silver and bronze.
Photo Credit: Kevin Light/COC
On the women’s side, Lauriane Genest, keirin bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, and her teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who had finished fifth in Japan, were unable to make the final rounds, both losing in the quarterfinals, a disappointment caused in part by tactical errors.
“It happened very quickly,” said Genest. “In this kind of race, you realize you only get one chance, and I didn’t take it today. I was last with one lap to go and thought I could overtake two girls, but I got stuck in that position. I felt I had the legs, so that was the most frustrating part.”
Photo Credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Photo Credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews took gold, accompanied by the Netherlands’ Hetty van de Wouw in silver and Emma Finucane from Great Britain in bronze.
Further information, including results and the full schedule of events, is available at olympics.com. Competition for Team Canada cyclists continues on August 8, when athletes will be in action in the individual events, including the women’s sprint, where we will see Genest and Mitchell and in the Women’s Madison.
