Track cyclist Maggie Coles-Lyster’s bid for one last Olympic medal for Canada fell short on Sunday.
Coles-Lyster, from Maple Ridge, B.C., dropped to ninth in the women’s omnium after she sat third entering the event-ending points race.
American Jennifer Valente defended her Olympic crown with 141 points, Daria Pikulik of Poland won silver with 131 points while New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston took bronze with 125 points
The 25-year-old Coles-Lyster finished with 101 points. She was second in the scratch race, 10th in the tempo race, third in the elimination race and 16th in the points race.
Coles-Lyster told CBC Olympics she was on “cloud 9” after the first three races.
“I just didn’t quite have the legs to go with the laps I needed to take (in the points race) to stay in contention for a medal,” she said, adding she plans to push for Los Angeles 2028.
Coles-Lyster was the last Canadian athlete to compete at the Olympics. Canada finishes with a non-boycotted Summer Games record of 27 medals.
The scratch race is a 10-km race, the tempo race sees riders awarded a point each time they lead a lap of the 30-lap battle, while the sprint race sees the last rider to cross the line every two laps eliminated.
The 25-km points race sees a sprint held every 10 laps with five, three, two and one points awarded to the top four finishers. Any rider managing to lap the entire field also gets an additional 20 points.
Coles-Lyster was fourth in the omnium at the 2022 world championships before slipping to 15th in 2023.
The Canadian track cycling team struggled in Paris, with CBC Olympics reporting that illness affected the squad.
Canadian cyclist Maggie Coles-Lyster made her Olympic debut in the women’s omnium event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, finishing in an impressive ninth place. The omnium is a multi-event competition that tests a cyclist’s endurance, speed, and tactical skills.
Coles-Lyster, who hails from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, put on a strong performance throughout the competition, showcasing her versatility as a cyclist. The omnium consists of four different events: scratch race, tempo race, elimination race, and points race. Each event awards points based on the rider’s performance, with the overall winner being the cyclist with the highest total points.
In the scratch race, Coles-Lyster demonstrated her speed and agility, finishing in the top half of the field. She continued to impress in the tempo race, where she showed her ability to maintain a consistent pace over a longer distance.
The elimination race proved to be a challenging event for Coles-Lyster, as riders are eliminated one by one until only a few remain. Despite facing tough competition, she held her own and managed to stay in contention.
In the final event, the points race, Coles-Lyster put in a strong performance, earning valuable points with strategic sprints and tactical moves. Her consistent performance across all four events earned her a ninth-place finish overall.
Coles-Lyster’s top-ten finish is a testament to her hard work and dedication to the sport of cycling. As a young athlete competing on the world stage, she has shown that she has the potential to become a top contender in future competitions.
Overall, Coles-Lyster’s performance in the women’s omnium event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is a source of pride for Canadian cycling fans. Her ninth-place finish is a promising start to what is sure to be a successful career in the sport.