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Sean loves to combine his love of sport and writing. He played country football for 20 years in Victoria and Western Australia, along the way breaking, straining or tearing every bone, muscle or tendon in his body. He recently won the Stringybark Australian Short Story History award for his depiction of the Aboriginal game of Marngrook and his work has appeared in various newspapers and anthologies. He has covered recent editions of the Jayco-Herald Sun Tour and the Australian road cycling titles. Despite a couple of second places in D grade club races he is still not quite as fast as Cadel!
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Gaviria from Colombia is out. Two left.
And Viviani (Italy) sprints over the top of Boudat (France) to claim full points for this event. Good racing.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Kuboki the Japanese rider is out.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
5 riders left. Zakharov is gone and then there were four!
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Suter from Switzerand is eliminated as is Mark Cavendish.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Prado from Mexico is the next to be eliminated.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Looks like Glen O’Shea has been eliminated there.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Bobby Lea departs for the USA.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
The Chinese rider Lueng has been eliminated as has Roger Kluge
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Sorry my live feed is sketchy at the moment.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Omnium event three – Elimination race
The race is underway, who will be eliminated first?
Norman Hansen and Kennett of New Zealand are the first two eliminated.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Doesn’t look like the Tour has hurt him too much!
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
After two events of the omnium Lasse Norman Hansen leads with 80 points.
2nd – Kluge 72 points
3d – Cavendish 68 points
Australia’s Glenn O’Shea is 6th with 54 points.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Still to come today is the third event of the omnium – the elimination race.
This is a fascinating race where every two laps the last rider across the line is eliminated.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
So Anna Meares makes it through to the next round of the women’s sprint. Unfortunately Steph Morton has missed out.
A mixed day for the Aussies really with Matthew Glaetzer missing out on bronze in the men’s sprint.
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Women’s sprint repechage 3
Cueff v Jinjie Gong v Morton
Cueff took the lead from Morton at the bell, Morton pushes and pushes around the bend and down the finishing straight but is between by half a wheel. Bad luck there! She was finishing fast.
1st – Cueff
2nd – Morton
3rd – Gong
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Women’s sprint repechage 2
Sullivan v Welte v O’Brien
Welte lead for the entire last lap, holding off the two Canadian riders to finish first.
1st – Welte
2nd – O’Brien
3rd – Sullivan
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Women’s sprint repechage 1
Ismayilova v Van Riessen v Meares
A tight 3 up sprint, Meares rounds the final bend in second, fighting, fighting and just manages to get her wheel in front at the line.
1st – Meares
2nd – Ismayilova
3rd – Van Riessen
Well done Anna!
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Norman Hansen’s individual pursuit time in the omnium was an Olympic record.
1st – Norman Hansen 4’14”
2nd – Cavendish 4’16”
3rd – Viviani 4’17”
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Mens Omnium – Individual pursuit 9
Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark) v Roger Kluge (Germany)
At the 1km mark Norman Hansen leads by about 2 seconds.
Norman Hansen is recording the fastest time at all the splits. Fast ride by the Dane.
Fastest time for Norman Hansen – 4’14”
Kluge also rode well, 4th fastest in 4’18”
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Mens Omnium – Individual pursuit 8
Thomas Boudat (France) v Glenn O’Shea (Australia)
Boudat gets the faster start.
2 second lead to the Frenchman at the 1km mark.
O’Shea is a long way back, tracking at only the 12th best time with 2.5 km completed.
Boudat catches O’Shea rght on the line for a third fastest time of 4’19”
O’Shea is ninth fastest with 4’28”
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Mens Omnium – Individual pursuit 7
Fernando Gaviria (Colombia) v Mark Cavendish (GB)
Let’s see how good the Manxman’s legs are!
He gets a fast start and leads early but Gaviria soon pulls him back.
2 second lead to the Colombian at the 1km mark.
Cavendish fights back though and is leading at the 2.5km mark.
Cavendish right into his rhythm now, stretching his lead.
Wow, Cavendish catches his opponent with a lap to go and records the fastest time of the night – 4’16”
Gaviria finishes with 4’26”
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Mens Omnium – Individual pursuit 6
Elia Viviani (Italy) v Gael Suter (Switzerland)
Viviani is already almost 3 seconds ahead at the 1km mark.
Viviani is on a fast pace. Split times indicate that he is the fastest so far. Can he maintain it?
The Italian catches his opponent before the 3 km mark.
Fastest time for Viviani – 4’17”
Suter is a distant 4’36”
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Mens Omnium – Individual pursuit 5
Park Sang-Hoon (South Korea) v Dylan Kennett (NZ)
Fast start by Park Sang-Hoon but Kennett is quick to cut the margin and take a commanding lead at the 1km mark.
If he can maintain this pace the Kiwi rider will record the fastest time so far in this individual pursuit.
Kennett can now see his opponent in front of him. They are on the same side of the velodrome.
Kennett passes Park Sang-Hoon on the final lap to record the fastest time of the morning – 4’20”
Park Sang-Hoon crossed the line in 4’29”
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
Mens Omnium – Individual pursuit 4
Tim Veldt (Netherlands) v Artyom Zakharov (Kazakhstan)
Nothing separates the riders at the 1km mark. Very even.
Now Zakharov is gaining an advantage. Just a slight one though. Nothing in this.
Veldt now claws his way back and is leading at the 3 km mark.
Zakharov is fading fast. His time is blowing out lap after lap.
Veldt actually catches the Russian at the finish. His time is approx. 4’22”
Zakharov’s time is 4’32”
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog
And now ladies and gentlemen I have to do the school run. I hope you enjoyed this morning’s coverage of the track cycling from Rio. Don’t forget to join us again tomorrow morning for more Olympic coverage.
Cheers!
Track Cycling Day 4: Men's sprint finals, the omnium and more Anna Meares Rio Olympics live blog