Maddie Godby (Louisville, Colo.) hit the boards for the Women’s Keirin First Round. Godby raced in the last heat of the round against five other riders. The top two riders from each heat would move on to the quarterfinals tomorrow. Those who did not finish in the top two transferred to the repechages, where the top two riders in that round would also make their way on to the quarterfinals.
Godby was the first rider in the group directly following the derny. When the derny pulled off, riders saw three laps to go. Godby was in the mix and was boxed in, sitting fourth, but it wouldn’t stop her from putting in a final kick on the last half lap and riding to second, automatically transferring her to the next round tomorrow.
Godby said, “I think getting the first-day nerves out of the way and getting through to the quarters in one ride has helped my confidence. Going out tomorrow and racing aggressively is my plan, and I know that I can execute against it. Plus, I’m racing at the Olympics, and that’s a huge honor.”
USA Cycling’s Track Sprint Coach Erin Hartwell was very pleased with Godby’s ride. Hartwell said, “I’m super happy and super impressed with the ride. The hardest thing in sprint cycling is getting out of the keirin reps and getting into the quarters. In this Games, we have a bunch of unknowns because we haven’t raced in a year and a half. We don’t know our competition. Maddie is a great competitor, she knows the keirin inside and out, but you still need the legs to back it up. She had great execution coming over the top on that ride and qualifying to the next round.”
Godby will start the Quarterfinals tomorrow, with the semifinals and finals directly following. Gavin Hoover (Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Elevate-Webiplex Pro Cycling) will compete in the Omnium, which will go in the following order: Scratch, Tempo, Elimination, and Points Race.
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