LAST UPDATE | 11 Aug 2024
IRELAND’S LARA GILLESPIE has finished in 10th place after the points race in the women’s omnium at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome on the last day of the Paris Olympics.
Gillespie, who was fifth in the standings heading into this fourth and final event, was 20 points behind the rider in the bronze medal position, Maggie Coles-Lyster. The Wicklow native fought ferociously for a place on the podium, coming to within just three points of a medal at one point. But she was unable to build on that as she crossed the line to take a top-10 finish overall.
Gillespie made an early charge at the start of the race to head towards the top of the field after seven laps. She slipped back to sixth after the first sprint of eight after being overtaken by Norway’s Anita Stenberg.
Poland’s Daria Pikulik then gained the points to take fifth, pushing the Irish rider back to seventh in the second sprint.
Gillespie attacked again in sprint three to shoot to the top of the field, with Anita Stenberg following closely behind. That gave her three points to bring her up to sixth with 48 laps remaining.
She earned another 20 points as she lapped the field with Stenberg to move her up to fourth, just three points off third-placed Stenberg. With 35 laps to go, Gillespie went back down to fifth but was still only three points off a medal with 99 points built up.
Gillespie then drifted back to sixth and then seventh as Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen climbed up to fourth with 18 laps left.
Coming into the final sprint, Gillespie was in 10th and all but out of contention for a medal.
altogether now…….
TTTOOMMMMYYYYYY BBBOOOWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
They had a phenomenal year? They lost the six nations to Tv3? He’s deluded
@Darragh Flynn:
Is that how you evaluate achievement? By who has the most money?
No and I’m a fan of a lot of sports, but losing rights of two of the biggest sports viewer pullers (RWC & 6N) to your national rival is certainly not an achievement. They’ll miss the viewer figures when they’re gone.
But hes obviously focusing on what coverage they have delivered on (thats what he was saying was excellent), not what they were outbidded on? Im not saying they WERE excellent but thought you were aimimg at the wrong point
Ireland beating the All Blacks was the sporting highlight of the year for me …. watched on an iPad then free on Eir then had to watch a montage the next week on RTE before the Canada game including fake commentary on the historic match they didn’t show …. load of shite
RTÉ’s soccer and GAA coverage is beyond sh!te. Same tired old muppets churning out the same crap year after year. I’d rather pay to watch decent coverage.
Ahhh…God love poor Ryle, he gets upset at a little criticism. Have to agree to with @Niall, the RTE soccer pundits plus the GAA football pundits are long overdue a shake up. The hurling pundits are the best of a bad lot. As for George Hook and his rugger buggers……???
@Niall McNamara:
pay to watch jaime redknapp or micheal owen? Every station has poor pundits(or ones you disagree with) but you’re doing a blanket statement which is idiotic. Hamann is probably the best pundit out there and where is he…..RTE
George retired – Shane Horgan, ROG and Brent Pope are all excellent
When it comes to GAA and Rugbaí. TG4 are streets ahead. If I heard Hugh Cahill commentating, I’d break my own rule and watch it on a Brit channel.
We should just give the award to everybody who played sport this year! Why narrow it down to one?
@Conor Paddingto:
Well that has to be the dumbest thing I have ever read.
@Just Some Guy: sarcasm frequently appears that way to the uninitiated. 8 nominees, no one there unjustly and an endless moan about who isn’t on the list. Silliness.
Up yours Ryle
He is the worst commentator of the whole lot including sky sports!!! How he has kept the job is amazing given the amount of people that have the same opinion….oh wait he gives himself the job as head of sport. What’s his KPI’s
Congrats to all nominated and all but only 2 people who should win this are Frampton or McGregor. Won world titles. Don’t think frampton has the support in Ireland to win a vote so McGregor it is. Will he turn up. Surprised McIlroy wasn’t nominated had a pretty good year but he did win it the other year so maybe they thought if nominated he would win it again. Though boycott of Olympics would have hit his popularity in public votes
So what was the criteria then?
Agree he’s deluded and interesting to see the wide spectrum of fans who think the same. They give no support to any LOI teams in Europe – Eir Sport stepped in and gave excellent coverage to Dundalk European adventure and id love them to get hold of the LOI and stick it on free to air
The only thing good about RTE’s lack of rugby coverage is that we don’t have to listen Ryle’s poor commentary too often. Usually turn sound down and listen to Michael Corcoran.
Sully