Cycling-The Olympic Games

The Olympic Games

The Olympic Games are one of the most watched sporting events in the world. The Olympics take place every two years and this year will be the 23rd Olympiad (for those interested in math, that means there have been a total of 493 events).

There are eight sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee: aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics and tennis. Cycling first appeared in 1896 with a 10-mile race.

Cycling takes place on a track with four events: track time trial; team pursuit; keirin; and points race. Racing takes place in heats where cyclists compete for medals. Cyclists often have to ride more than one event to earn a medal; which event they ride depends on their ranking.

Cycling-The Olympic Games

Cycling is one of the eight sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is one of the most popular sports in the Olympics. There are four types of events in cycling: track time trial, team pursuit, keirin and points race. The first event, track time trial, has cyclists racing to see who can get their bike around a track in the fastest time possible. Team pursuit requires cyclists to form two teams of four riders each. Riders take turns to complete two laps on the track. Keirin is an event where cyclists compete to win points for their team as they race around a 200-meter oval inside a velodrome. Riders compete against each of their opponents one by one with six rounds per heat-the first rider to win five or six rounds will be crowned the winner! Points races follow a similar format but have no rounds, instead riders accumulate points by crossing the finish line ahead of their opponents.

How Cycling Is Different From Other Olympic Sports

The individual event, like other Olympic sports such as swimming or athletics, requires that riders compete in heats to earn medals. However, another interesting difference between cycling and other Olympic sports is that cyclists have to compete in more than one event to earn a medal whereas many other Olympic athletes can win medals in their respective sport with just one event. For example, an archer would only need to compete in archery to earn a medal as opposed to competing in three different events like cycling.

How Does Cycling Work?

In order to win an Olympic medal at the cycling games you need to be strong and fast.

In the point race, riders compete for points with sprints every few laps. The rider with the most points after five sprints wins the event. The individual time trial is a solo race against the clock. A rider will try to cover as many miles in a set amount of time while still maintaining an average speed of more than 20 mph. The team pursuit is a team event where two teams ride together around one loop of a track from opposing directions. The first team to catch the other wins. In a keirin race, riders start behind a motorized or nonmotorized pacer who gradually drops back until it’s just behind the lead rider-a technique used to increase speed and drama in bike racing!

Event Types in Cycling

There are four event types in cycling: track time trial; team pursuit; keirin; and points race.

Track time trials are often short, fast and intense. In these races, riders must complete a certain number of laps within a specific amount of time. The first rider to cross the finish line wins.

Team pursuits are an endurance-based event that is most like a traditional distance race. Teams compete against each other with two riders completing one lap at a time until one team crosses the finish line-the winner!

Keirin is another endurance-based event that follows the same rules as a sprint race. Riders compete against each of their opponents one by one with six rounds per heat-the first rider to win five or six rounds will be crowned the winner! Points races follow a similar format but have no rounds, instead riders accumulate points by crossing the finish line ahead of their opponents.

Conclusion

The cycling event at this year's Olympic Games will be different than most other Olympic sports. This event has a variety of different event types that cyclists may compete in. There are individual events, team events and mixed events where cyclists of different genders can compete.

The ranking system for cycling is based on points. Points are awarded for placing first, second or third in an event and the points are totaled to create a cyclist's ranking. Cycling has a bronze, silver and gold medal system just like most other Olympic sports.

The Olympic Games is a time to celebrate the best in sport and people from all over the world come together to do just that.