After a very unfortunate Olympic Games, with crashing shaping her participation in both her events, Emily Kay has said she was bitterly disappointed but proud she had battled on.
The Irish rider was competing in the omnium earlier today
when two crashes occurred on the penultimate lap of the scratch race; the first
the four races that make up the event.
While Kay was not impacted by the first crash, the second fall just seconds later wiped out half the riders on the track, including the Irish cyclist.
That meant Kay was a non-finisher in that race, along with eight other riders. Furthermore, most of those who crashed were clearly impact by the fall as the next three races came in quick succession.
Kay won bronze in the omnium at the World Cup in Canada last year; a race won by American Jennifer Valente, who took Olympic gold today. Against that background, Kay went into the race today believing she was capable of taking a medal.
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Speaking after the conclusion of the omnium, in which she placed 13th, Kay’s frustration was clear. It was the second crash to hit her debut Olympics as her madison partner Shannon McCurley was also caught up in a significant crash during that race.
“Yeah, I’d say I’m pretty heartbroken but pretty proud of
myself,” said Kay, who was close to the front of the bunch just as the final
push for the finish line was about to kick off in the scratch race.
“I felt I came today in the form of my life and in that scratch
race I put myself in the right position, I felt really good, I was coming over
the top.
“Today, I don’t know what would have been possible but I
believe a medal was, and just to be taken out and to kind of have that taken
away from me, and just to have the wind taken out of me. I was battered, and to
come back from that was really difficult.
“I guess more than anything I’m just proud of myself for
never giving up, and you know, fighting all the way to the finish, I think
that’s what the Olympics is about, and that’s what Team Ireland is about.
“I’m heartbroken and probably will be a while but I’ll
come back stronger and Paris is only three years away.”
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