Kristin Armstrong won the women’s cycling time trial at the 2016 Rio Olympics on a rainy, windy day around the Grumari circuit from Saturday’s road race with a time of 44:26.42. The Olympic gold medal is the third of her career. She won the time trial in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
Olympic cycling 2016 results: Kristin Armstrong wins gold in women’s time trial
Team USA’s Kristin Armstrong survived windy, rainy conditions to win gold in the Rio women’s cycling time trial Wednesday.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Even at 43 years old and after a long history of hip and knee problems, Armstrong entered the time trial as one of the favorites to win a medal, starting the road race last among the race’s 25 competitors. Evelyn Stevens was the other member of Team USA in the race, starting sixth-to-last on the course and finishing 10th.
Russia’s Olga Zabelinskaya settled for silver, four seconds out of gold, as she watched Armstrong finish her turn on the course. Sunday’s road race winner, Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands, took bronze with a time of 44:37.80.
Thankfully, despite the conditions, riders were able to stay on their bikes. Two factors helped: No cobbles, and no climb up and over Vista Chinesa, the descent of which caused, in part, Annemiek van Vleuten’s startling crash as she appeared to be on her way to a gold medal.
By the standard of the road race, the women’s time trial course was relatively easy. The climbing wasn’t extreme, just 3.4 kilometers of the 29.8-kilometer course, and featured long stretches of mildly rolling flats. The weather conditions were perhaps the biggest obstacle for riders. Thankfully, rain fell before riders started, washing away the oil that can be kicked up by fresh rain.
Results from the women’s cycling time trial in Rio:
Gold: Kristin Armstrong, United States, 44:26.42
Silver: Olga Zabelinskaya, Russia, 44:31.97
Bronze: Anna van der Breggen, Netherlands, 44:37.80
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