Tokyo has proved to be nothing short of a green and gold rush for Australia.
Our swimmers have proven time and time again that we can outswim just about anyone, no matter their age.
20-year-old Ariarne Titmus dethroned Katie Ledecky as the outright queen of middle distance freestyle, Kaylee McKeown won hearts for her swimming exploits and expletives, and Zac Stubblety-Cook won not just the 200m breastroke but perhaps the gold for the shortest Wikipedia page ever for a gold medal athlete.
But as we move out of the water and onto land, the thundering steam train that is Australia’s medal haul shouldn’t show any signs of slowing down. Why?
Track cycling, that’s why. Cycling just so happens to be the Olympic sport that boasts Australia’s third highest medal tally with 51, behind swimming and athletics.
But what exactly is track cycling, what are the events in it and which Aussies are likely to end up on the podium?
What is track cycling?
Track cycling is a branch of cycling that takes place in a bowl-shaped arena that’s more commonly known as a velodrome, and one lap is 250m.
The Olympic sport is split into two different events: sprint and endurance.
What are the events in track cycling?
The sprint events, much like its name suggests, are fast and explosive events that can require plenty of pre-race tactics.
Sprint events featured at Tokyo include sprint, team sprint and keirin.
The sprint is a one-on-one race, with the race lasting 750m but only the final 200m are timed. The winner is the first across the finish line, but there are moments in this event that being in front is not the ideal position. This one’s all about strategy.
Team sprint is a bit like a team time trial. The men’s race features teams of three and is raced over three laps, while the women’s event has teams of two and is finished in two laps.
Keirin is perhaps the most recognisable track cycling event. Between three and six riders compete in a sprint race of just three laps, with the first lap all completed riding behind a pacesetter on a motorbike who gradually increases their speed. It’s as wild as it sounds.
For the endurance races, it’s comprised of the team pursuit, the omnium and the madison.
The team pursuit sees two teams of four riders begin on opposite sides of the track, and can win on two technicalities.
Either a team is the first to complete 4km, or if a team catches up to the other before that distance is completed, the race is done there and then.
The madison is named after Madison Square Garden in New York City, but that’s as straightforward as this event gets.
Teams of two contest the race, which is completed over 200 laps for the men and 120 laps for the women. Only one rider from a team is allowed in the race at a given time, and the changeover between teammates is done via a hand-slingshot.
Points are earned for sprints every 10 laps, and the team finishing with the highest number of points win.
The omnium is made up of four different mass-start races: the scratch race, the tempo race, the elimination race and the points race.
The scratch has riders wanting to be the first over the line over 10km (men) and 7.5km (women). The tempo race awards riders with points by winning a sprint or lapping the main field. It’s raced over the same distance as the scratch.
The elimination race sees the last-placed rider eliminated after every second lap until one rider is left standing. The points race gives points every 10 laps, with five points for first, three for second, two for third and one for fourth.
After all of these four races are completed, the rider with the most points is the winner.
Who are the Australians competing in track cycling?
Ashlee Ankudinoff
Georgia Baker
Annette Edmondson
Matthew Glaetzer
Nathan Hart
Leigh Howard
Alexandra Manly
Kaarle McCulloch
Kelland O’Brien
Lucas Marc Plapp
Maeve Plouffe
Alexander Porter
Matthew Richardson
Sam Welsford
What time are the track cycling finals events?
All times are listed in AEST.
Women’s Team Sprint final – Monday August 2 at 7:09pm
Women’s Team Pursuit final – Tuesday August 3 at 6:26pm
Men’s Team Sprint final – Tuesday August 3 at 6:44pm
Men’s Team Pursuit final – Wednesday August 4 at 7:06pm
Women’s Keirin final – Thursday August 5 at 6:45pm
Men’s Omnium points race (last event of the Omnium) – Thursday August 5 at 6:55pm
Women’s Madison final – Friday August 6 at 6:15pm
Men’s Sprint final – Friday August 6 at 7:50pm
Men’s Madison final – Saturday August 7 at 5:55pm
Men’s Keirin final – Sunday August 8 at 1pm
Women’s Sprint final – Sunday August 8 at 1:05pm
Women’s Omnium points race (last event of the Omnium) – Sunday August 8 at 1:25pm