Team GB’s Becky James has won a silver medal in the keirin, her first Olympic medal.
Becky James won her first heat of the day to go through to the second round, avoiding the repechage. In the second round, she was against her Australian rival Anna Meares, who pipped her to the line, but Becky crossed in second place to progress to the final. In the final, Becky was on the back but in the final lap she found her speed to come to the front and take silver on the line.
Becky said:I am lost for words – I don’t think I have ever been lost for words. I can’t even believe that happened. I am over the moon. I feel like I am in really good form and it is what I needed. “I love the keirin and I love the racing. Through the first round I thought I am just going to enjoy the whole day of racing and after the back straight I kept thinking when do I go. I had so much speed in that last half, I don’t know where it came from. I just went for that medal.
“It was so special. I have got ten [of her family] here. They have never been on a long-haul flight and my mum and dad have never watched a race together aside from the worlds this year.
“It is incredible, and having [boyfriend] George [North] here and my little sisters and my auntie. I have had so much support from British Cycling. It has been a tough 18 months, two years and I could not do it without their help. It is a medal we have all won together."
Becky James from Abergavenny is competing in her first Olympics in Rio 2016. Becky represented Wales in the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games winning two medals and became a double world champion in 2013, in the sprint and Keirin, and also medalled in the team sprint and 500m time trial. Following a prolonged period of illness and injury, missing out on the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Becky returned to the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships to take bronze in the Keirin.
Matt Cosgrove, Performance Director at Welsh Cycling said: “I would like to congratulate Becky James on her Olympic silver medal in the Keirin for Team GB. This is Becky’s first Olympic Games, and her medal is much deserved following years of hard-work to return to this level of racing. Becky has been a talented cyclist from a young age, winning her first world titles as a junior cyclist, and winning medals for Wales in the Commonwealth Games in 2010. To see her win silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics is a proud moment for Wales, and Welsh Cycling.”
Anne Adams-King, Chief Executive Officer at Welsh Cycling said: “On behalf of Welsh Cycling, I would like to congratulate Becky on her silver medal in the Keirin. It is brilliant to see Becky achieve at the highest level in cycling. She’s had a tough few years, but it is just fantastic to see her on the podium in Rio. Becky, along with Elinor and Owain, are products of Wales and all three are fulfilling their potential in cycling and will inspire a whole new generation of cyclists in Wales.”
