Rio 2016 results: American Sarah Hammer sprints to silver medal in women’s track cycling omnium

Sarah Hammer entered the points race of the women’s track cycling omnium, the sixth and final round of the event, in a tie for a silver medal with Belgium’s Jolien D’Hoore. The two cyclists dueled throughout the race, but Hammer was able to edge out D’Hoore at the final three sprint points, winning the race and taking the silver medal, definitely, behind Great Britain’s Laura Trott.

Hammer and D’Hoore would have needed a superhuman effort and a lot of luck to catch Trott heading into the points race. Trott had a 24-point lead over D’Hoore and Hammer after the flying lap, and cruised to her second gold medal of the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning the women’s team pursuit Saturday. Trott dominated the omnium from the first event onward, taking second in the scratch race, first in the individual pursuit, first in the elimination race, second in the time trial and first on the flying lap before cruising to seventh in the points race.

Hammer ultimately beat D’Hoore by seven points, 206 to 199, but the two were dead even with 40 laps to go in the points race. Hammer, 32 years old, had much stronger legs over the back stretch of the race, however. D’Hoore, 26, faded late in what were her first ever Olympics.

Hammer is now a four-time silver medalist at the Summer Olympics, taking second in the team pursuit and omnium at both the 2012 London and 2016 Rio games. Trott has taken gold in the exact same events, heading off what might have been, in another era, Hammer’s Olympic dynasty.