The 2024 cycling campaign at the Paris Olympics goes down as the best achieved in our history.
It was championed by the track cycling team who bagged a record five medals to bring the Olympic tally to 15 medals since Gary Anderson began things with his bronze medal in the individual pursuit at Barcelona in 1992.
Until Paris, the most in any campaign was three medals in London with bronze medals to the men’s team pursuit and to Simon van Velthooven in the keirin, while Sarah Walker earned a silver medal in BMX Racing.
The five medals in Paris speaks for itself in quantity and colour led by a remarkable double medal haul by Ellesse Andrews, who at 24 years young, completely stamped her authority on the female sprint cycling cartel.
It was more than just Ellesse in the team sprint silver medal group with the Tokyo BMX Racing semifinalist, Rebecca Petch transformed in to the fastest first-lap rider of all nations in Paris. Following her was Shaane Fulton, who has comeback from injury and surgery when many others are unable, to become a massive factory at wheel two.
The future of women’s sprinting in New Zealand is exciting with the likes of Olivia King and developing juniors in the wings.
Sam Dakin wanted to edge his way into the NZ sprint records, and he did that and more with his massive national record in qualifying, and in finishing in the top-eight in the keirin competition.
The women’s endurance group were outstanding, highlighted with their silver medal. While they may have pined for gold after a world record on the way to the final, their silver was outstanding return. They are sure to be contenders again in Los Angeles.
NZ again finished in the top-8 in the madison with Bryony Botha and Emily Shearman in a discipline that is not raced much in anger in NZ, while Ally Wollaston gave a Gatey-like late run to put two laps on the field and six points in the finals print to grab the bronze medal in the omnium in the final event of the Games – cycling’s last tango in Paris.
The endurance men were always in contention and produced world-class performances in the team pursuit, omnium and madison without the bling but two fourth placings and a fifth were highly praiseworthy.
Likewise mountain bike was competitive and prominent. Sam Gaze, in typical manner chasing gold, took a key gamble at the start that did not quite come off. He powered back from 20-something to fourth at one stage and sixth at the finish in a result he should be most proud.
Sammie Maxwell, in her first year in the elite ranks, also pushed to the pointy-end of the competition with eighth providing much credit and confidence for the future.
Likewise BMX Racing emerged with two young riders with much future with Rico Bearman finishing 11th overall, just missing a spot in the grand final, while Leila Walker, who moved to the elite ranks only a few months ago, just missing out on the top grouping for finals day.
It was always going to be a tough assignment for our road riders. The road race was challenging with the women’s chances significantly affected by a crash that stalled a clump of the peloton in the first time up the climb in Paris.
The men’s race proved ultra-fast and with riders not with the use of race-radio, they had to use their intuition. Corbin Strong had thought his bunch was in the running for the bronze medal, but found they were further behind the breakaway as they sped to a remarkable setting in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower.
Overall the most successful Olympic Games in terms of medals and top-10 achievements – as cycling draws breath and plots a course to Los Angeles in four years.