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American Jennifer valente won omnium gold on Sunday in Japan, winning two of four races at the Izu velodrome to become the first American woman to win a track cycling title at the Olympics.
The 26-year-old from San Diego, Calif., Went on to win the scratch race with a third place finish in the tempo race, dominated by Great Britain Laura Kenny, before taking fourth place in the elimination race, won by the French Clara copponi.
Entering the fourth and final points race, the 2019 world bronze medalist held a narrow two-point lead over the reigning world champion. Kajihara Yumi from Japan. She sat in the middle of the field before taking the first sprint for five points, then finished second in the third sprint for three more points.
A fall in the second half put her gold in jeopardy, but she was able to recover and did not lose her standings by missing the next sprint. Then Kajihara crashed after crossing wheels with another runner. Despite returning to the race, she equalized the two in return, giving Valente the advantage. She finished second in the final double point sprint for six others, winning a total of 124.
Kajihara hung on to the silver with 110, while the 2019 world champion Kirsten Wild from the Netherlands won bronze with 108 points.
A two-time Olympic team pursuit medalist, Valente grew up near a velodrome in San Diego with a passionate cycling father, and she credits much of her love for the sport to her first coach, the late American cycling Olympian. track. Marc Whitehead.
American women had already won seven silver or bronze medals in the sport.
Going from six events in Rio to four, the omnium includes a scratch race of 30 laps, first to finish; a tempo race of 30 circuits, point per lap, centered on the leader; an elimination race with an emphasis on avoiding last place; and an 80-lap points race with intermediate sprints to decide the winner.
The event made its debut at the 2012 London Games. Sarah hammer, a four-time Olympic medalist, has won two consecutive silver medals at these Games and at the Rio 2016 Games.
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