Well she was eleven years older that the rest of the field in the Ukraine race so perhaps not.
1 Like
She’s 33 iirc…potentially got years left in the sport…
edit - just checked…
Think that answers the debate on whether Phelps could have done a competitive IM swim 
5 Likes
Watched the mens kerin earlier, and just caught up on 400 posts here. Expected more punditry on what was an incredible win! Slightly surprised that Boardman, and Hoy to some extent, blame the Australian and see it as chance/opportunistic from Kenny. Seemed to me like earlier in the week he’d realised he didn’t have the absolute top speed of old, and was trying to make each race slightly longer and tougher. Then with the the 1st position draw in the final it seems pre-meditated plan to deliberately give it a few hard pedal strokes to open the gap initially to see if a long one is on, checks back to see if he’s surprised anyone, and then fully commits.
Yes others should have been switched on to it to defend it earlier, but Kenny didn’t just find himself out in front by chance?
Also watched highlights of mens marathon. Strange/Fun sprint finish, not seen such in-race encouragement before especially between different countries!
1 Like
It was definitely one of my favourite moments of the games, but it was 4am live? So only caught up on it later in the morning. He’s said after he thought about going long, asked his coach if he should go if there was a gap, coach was a bit non-committal “if it’s big enough!”. So it was in his mind, but not a predetermined strategy. I think the Aussie only left a gap because they didn’t think Kenny was a threat, he was marking everyone behind him. Kind of the perfect storm. But it needed someone with Kenny’s experience to pull it off.
Apparently they are training partners. Like the cyclists helping out their team mates from their pro team when from different countries.
1 Like
The other riders definitely underestimated Kenny, and TBH you can’t blame them. Several times over the week in the team sprint final or in the sprint he ran out of gas in the closing stages. The Aussie allowed the gap to open because he assumed the trouble was behind him and that stalling of the rest of the group allowed him to get the gap he needed.
It was definitely one of those “in case of emergency break glass” race tactics, which worked a treat this time because it was so unexpected, but would never work again. It was a bit like the German (Forsterman?) who put Chris Hoy out of an early round of the individual sprint a few years ago when he was favourite to win by going full gas from the very start and not waiting until the final lap before sprinting.
2 Likes
He kinda did because he drew position 1 which is almost certain to get on the wheel of the derny. If he’d drawn any other position (5/6 chance) he couldn’t have ridden like he did.
1 Like
I think people underestimate how quick things can happen on the track. I’ve never ridden a Keirin because they usually had to get permission for the Derny (petrol) and we were always too lowly to warrant it.
How do they allocate the start positions?
I saw full tilt Keirin in Korea. It’s pretty ugly but hugely popular with the betting crowd. Riders are just a commodity, nobody is interested in cycling.
1 Like
They draw cards in the waiting area just before the race.
I guess the riders then have a few minutes to talk tactics with their coaches while they are waiting to be pushed off
1 Like
I think Boardman summed it up perfectly in his interview on the highlights show later:
“Luck is when opportunity meets preparation”
There was an element of luck, drawing No1, the Aussie leaving too big a gap etc. but you’ve got to be good enough and alert to that scenario to take advantage of it.
10 Likes
Was it Kenny that went balls out against Borge from the gun a few years back? That was funny AF.
In Japanese kierin races where there is betting the riders have to declare their tactics in advance to give the punters a bit of a clue
And got demoted for deviating from his line? I think they had decided that was their only tactic. Borge had won sprint 1 because he was simply quicker, they decided he couldn’t recover as quickly so they planned to ride 2 & 3 from the gun. But got demoted in ride 2 and so didn’t make ride 3.
Yes I remember that too, tried (unsucessfully) to find it on Youtube. They had to peel Borge off his bike, I didn’t know that was the plan for race 3 as well.
Think the Keirin might have been my moment of the Olympics. Superb opportunism, I remember seeing 79.8kmh tick up just before the finish.
You have a better memory than me. I’d forgotten about the demotion. I think it was a Worlds ride in Manchester?
1 Like
Funny how the memory works. I don’t remember who or where or when, just the race and the comments after about why they chose those tactics.
They were still using the iPad at the olmypics, with everyone touching it, I was sort of amazed that they still did that rather than using actual cards which would be much better covid theatre than everyone prodding the same manky ipad.
1 Like
We used to use each other as “the derny” in training. Was like a recovery between the efforts. El niño won his first keirin last year at a track league. 2 laps of 450m, Got into 3rd wheel by luck, sat off second wheel, derny pulled off on back straight with half a lap to go. He accelerated through middle of two riders dithering. I love watching it.
5 Likes
nice 
1 Like
@joxster of TT 1.0 went to Keirin school and raced in Japan. I watched a video on it, probably the tubes can’t remember, but it’s hardcore. They have a massive hill they have to rep on site.
1 Like