(Milton) Lauriane Genest lost her silver medal and was relegated fifth in the Milton Cycling Nations Cup keirin for illegal track contact.
Canada appealed this decision.
Genest got stuck at the bottom of the track for the last lap and a half. She tried everything to join the German Alessa-Catriona Pröpster, who won the event. To clear her way, however, she touched Colombian Martha Bayona Pineda on the way, almost causing a swerve.
It is obviously this maneuver that has been the subject of a review by the commissioners of the International Cycling Union (UCI). The revision also resulted in the relegation of Luz Daniela Gaxiola Gonzalez, which meant that the two cyclists finished tied for fifth place.
Bayona Pineda therefore ends up with the silver medal. Briton Katy Marchant climbs on the third step of the podium.
For Genest, this is one rank better than initially announced.
Disappointed, Genest preferred not to meet the media before leaving the Mattamy National Cycling Center. She had bet everything on this keirin, even skipping the individual sprint, slowing down in her quarter-final duel on Saturday in order to conserve her energy for this long day of racing.
Her choice so far seemed to be a good one: the bronze medalist in the discipline at the Tokyo Olympics – Canada’s first-ever Olympic medal in the keirin – completely dominated her two previous heats before the final.
In this final race, Genest opted for the leading position behind the hare. However, her competitors had not forgotten the show of power she had shown in qualifying and the semi-finals and they left her no room to manoeuvre.
While she likes to launch her attacks higher up the track, Genest found herself followed by three competitors when Bayona Pineda launched her attack very early.
Pröpster, who had a strong weekend, quickly followed in the footsteps of the Colombian and Genest at one point found herself fourth.
Stuck, she believed the window of opportunity was sufficient to try to improve her fate, but the race marshals decided otherwise.
Her compatriot Kelsey Mitchell for her part finished the event in seventh place after going through the repechage.
In the men’s sprint, Canadians Ryan Dodyk, Nick Wammes, Tyler Rorke and James Hedgcock all easily passed the qualifications.
Hedgcock’s run ended in the round of 32, while Dodyk and Rorke reached the next round. Only Wammes qualified for the quarters, where he was stopped by Malaysian Muhammad Sahrom.
The latter lost to Australian Matthew Richardson in the duel for the bronze medal. Trinidadian Nicholas Paul won the gold, his second medal of the weekend with the bronze amassed in the keirin. The 200m world mark holder beat Poland’s Mateusz Rudyk in straight sets.
In Madison, the Canadian duo of Dylan Bibic and Michael Foley collected six points to finish 12th. The Portuguese Manuel Alves Oliveira and Iuri Leitão won the event with 61 points, ahead of the Dutch Yoeri Havik and Vincent Hoppezak of the professional team Beat, as well as the French Thomas Boudat and Benjamin Thomas.
Finally in the omnium, Canadians Maggie Coles-Lyster and Sarah van Dam finished in seventh and 10 places. Briton Katie Archibald, Italian Elisa Belsamo and American Jennifer Valente won all three medals.
