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omnium, keirin and madison: what you need to know about olympic track cycling
olympic track cycling events begin next week, with athletes set to compete in uniquely named events like the madison, the omnium and the keirin
aug 4 2024
4 minute read
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olympic track cycling events begin this week, with athletes set to compete in uniquely named events like the madison, the omnium and the keirin.
what is track cycling?
several cycling sports are featured in the olympic games, including bmx freestyle and racing, mountain bike, road and track. with a 120‑year olympic history, track cycling takes place in an oval-shaped arena known as a velodrome, with a 250-metre long track and two steeply-banked bends. track cycling athletes can participate in both team and individual events.
the sport made its paralympic debut in 1996.
what are the different olympic track cycling events?
olympic events include the keirin, the omnium, the madison, the sprint, the team sprint and the team pursuit.
what is the keirin?
the keirin is an eight-lap sprint race, with six riders typically competing at a time. riders start behind a motorized pace bike which gradually speeds up to 50 kilometres an hour before getting off the track. one of the highest-crashing and most entertaining events, athletes need to stay behind the pace bike before it gets off, finishing the last three laps on their own.
bronze medalist in the event, lauriane genest, will participate in the keirin in paris.
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what is the omnium?
arguably the most daunting track cycling event, the omnium is a multi-discipline, one-day event where individual riders accumulate points based on how they place in four different races.
first, athletes take part in a scratch race — 40 laps (10 kilometres) for men, 30 laps (7.5 kilometres for women)— where the first cyclist to cross the line wins.
then, they compete in a tempo race of the same length, but after four laps, there are intermediate sprints with one point awarded to the cyclist who crosses the line first each lap.
the next race is the elimination, where the last rider to cross the finish line every two laps is eliminated.
the last portion of the event is the points race, which is 100 laps or 25 kilometres for men and 80 laps or 20 kilometres for women. riders add points to their total during the sprints every 10 laps and by lapping the group.
canada’s first-ever junior world champion in track cycling, maggie coles-lyster, and the country’s first-ever world champion in a men’s endurance track cycling event, dylan bibic, will participate in the omnium.
what is the madison?
a two-person event, the madison is an exciting race where riders cover 120 laps (30 kilometres) for men or 80 laps (20 kilometres) for women.
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named after madison square garden in new york, where the discipline originated, points are awarded to riders on intermediate sprints, with the first four riders to cross the line earning points every 10 laps. teams earn an extra 20 points when they lap the other riders and teams who are lapped lose 20 points.
while one teammate races, the other slows down to rest, before being slingshotted to restart their turn.
what are the sprint events?
the individual sprint is a tactical event that pits two riders against each other, covering three laps of the track.
before the head-to-head, riders participate in an individual 200-metre time trial (also known as a “flying 200”) qualification round. the fastest riders move forward to the knockout heats, racing two at a time, with the best two riders making it to the final.
a mind game where riders try to psych their opponent out, riders often ride slowly, jockeying for their positions, before making their final sprints to end the race.
in the team sprint, riders also race for three laps. teams begin on opposite sides of the track, with each rider leading for a lap before pulling out of the race. at the end, one rider is left to sprint to the finish.
reigning olympic champing, kelsey mitchell, will race in the sprint and the team sprint at the games.
what is the team pursuit?
in the team pursuit, two teams of four riders start on opposite sides of the track, racing a collective distance of four kilometres. racers begin from a standing start before getting in line on the track, each taking their turn at the front. one rider can pull out of the race.
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a team can win and advance to the medal races by either catching their opponents or completing the race in the fastest time.
what are the paralympic events?
according to the olympic website , athletes compete in the individual or team time trials, in distances of 500 metres or one kilometre. they also compete in the individual pursuit, which is three or four kilometres, and the 750-metre team sprint .
paralympic athletes with physical impairments can compete on handcycles, tricycles or bicycles. athletes with a visual impairment compete on tandems alongside a sighted pilot.
canadian medallists keely shaw, michael sametz, charles moreau and kate o’brien are set to compete in para cycling in paris.
when is track cycling happening?
cycling track events are running from august 5 to august 11. here is the schedule .
para cycling track events are taking place from august 29 to september 1. here is the schedule .
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