Team Sprint, Women

China and Russia had been a class apart from the rest of the world in the lead up to the Rio Olympics. China had finished first in both of the last World Championships only to lose the 2016 title to Russia because of an illegal changeover. It was a judgement that made their French coach Benoit Vetu so angry he broke his hand after striking a table.

Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi set an Olympic record in the qualifying round then followed up with a world record in the next round, before defeating their Russian rivals to clinch a first ever Chinese gold in the sport of cycling. China had invested heavily in this side of the sport leading up to the Beijing Olympics, but had to wait eight years for an Olympic investment to pay off. They celebrated by holding aloft a giant Chinese flag. Germany, meanwhile, defeated Australia to claim the final spot on the Olympic podium.