Jennifer Valente became the first U.S. track rider to win an Olympic gold medal since 2000 at the Omnium event Sunday.
The 27-year-old survived a late crash in the multi-format race to punch into the record books and suitably reward years of preparation and the pressure of playing anchor point to the women’s U.S. track team competing in Tokyo.
“Olympic gold … the sound of it, I can’t get over it,” Valente said at the finish.
“I think there were 100 different emotions running through me and the biggest thing is that none of them had set in yet. I don’t know if they have still set in, or understanding what it means to be an Olympic champion. It’s been really emotional and it’s been a long five years, and I’m so happy with this result.”
Valente’s standout Omnium victory over Yumi Kajihara (Japan) and Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) earned the USA its only cycling gold medal of the Tokyo Games.
Here’s a look at the dramatic day of racing.