By Martyn Herman
IZU (Reuters) – American Jennifer Valente recovered from a late crash to land gold for the United States in the women’s omnium as a memorable week of track racing concluded at the Izu Velodrome on Sunday.
Valente, 26, was comfortably ahead on points towards the end of the points race, the final element of the four-part endurance race crammed into three hours, when she went down hard.
But after dusting herself she rejoined the race and stayed out of trouble to take the title with 124 points.
Japan’s world champion Yumi Kajihara also crashed in the final few laps but hung on for silver with 110 points.
Dutch veteran Kirsten Wild, 38, ended with a bronze medal, her first ever Olympic podium despite being an eight-time track world champion.
Briton Laura Kenny’s hopes of becoming the first female track cyclist to win three gold medals in a specific event after her victories in London and Rio, never fully recovered after being involved in a huge crash in the opening scratch race.
Kenny, who claimed a fifth career Olympic gold medal this week when she won the madison, recovered to win the tempo race but a poor showing in the elimination race left her too much to do and she ended in sixth place.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
