Ellesse Andrews looked to add to her medal total in the women’s sprint after winning the keirin and silver in the team sprint. She faced Germany’s Lea Sophie Friedrich, who had won bronze as part of the team sprint. Andrews swept Friedrich, needing just two races, to claim gold in the women’s sprint.
In the first race, Andrews held her lead out front despite a good challenge by Friedrich. In the second race, Andrews came over the top and left Friedrich in the dust. She left no doubt as she dominated the event and won with a time of 10.685, six tenths ahead of the German.
Friedrich does go home with the fastest time of the Games. She set the world record in her qualifying lap on Thursday at 10.029.
Andrews becomes the first New Zealander to win three cycling medals in a single Olympics. She also became the most decorated cyclist in New Zealand Olympic history with 4 total medals (she won silver in the keirin in Tokyo). Her gold medal is also New Zealand’s first medal in this event.
Her wins in Paris are particularly impressive because she broke her collarbone in April at the Track Nations Cup.
In the bronze medal matchup, Great Britain’s Emma Finucane also swept Netherland’s Hetty van de Wouw in two races to win the bronze.
Finucane ended her Olympic debut on a high. She became the first British woman to win three cycling medals in the same Olympics, adding to her gold in team sprint and bronze in the keirin.
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