Shannon McCurley has gone out of the keirin at the Olympic Games but gave a good account of herself and made Irish Olympic history in getting to Rio.
Shannon McCurley has given a very good account of herself in the repechage of the keirin event at the Rio Olympics but the 24-year-old has bowed out of the competition.
The Australian-born sprinter – who declared for Ireland as her mother is from Dublin and her father from Belfast – found herself boxed in during her first round heat this afternoon.
And with only two riders to advance straight to the next round, the Irish woman was destined for the repechage after finishing 5th.
Her repechage ride was up almost immediately and this time there were five riders, with only the winner to advance to the next round.
Advertisement
And McCurley stayed well in contention until the final surge to the line.
She took up 3rd position in the line of five when the derny pulled off and maintained that for much of the race.
As the motorbike pulled off, McCurley held her position much better than she had done in the heat a little earlier in the day.
However, some of the other women in the race were better positioned and had more firepower.
Related News
In the end McCurley crossed the line in 4th place, though that result perhaps does not do credit to what was a very respectable ride.
Ultimately she went out of the competition, though she has done incredibly well to get to the Games.
She is Ireland’s only track rider to qualify for Rio and is the first Irish female track cyclist ever to qualify for an Olympics.
And she has done it all unfunded and having been blighted by injury and untimely crashes.
In the heats earlier in the day, the Irish sprinter took up 3rd position behind the derny when the race began and she held that place well until the motorbike pulled off on the third last lap of 8.
However, when the other riders surged forward in the battle for position, McCurley lost her place a little after being boxed in.
She found herself on the back of a cluster of riders but sensibly retained a position right at the bottom of the track and was ready to pounce if a gap opened up along that inside line.
Unfortunately that scenario did not eventuate for her, with the competition at this level intense and only two to advance to the next round there was no quarter given.
And when it became clear rounding the last bend in the final surge to the finish line that McCurley would not take one of the top two places, the Olympic debutant eased back a little to preserve her kick for repechage.
The keirin involves four heats from which the first two riders advance. And for those who do not advance, there are four more repechage heats, with the winners of each advancing.
Topics
