“The best answer I can give is that I can”, she told the AP. She’s 43 and after repeatedly being asked why she had come out of retirement for Rio, why she’s still going in spite of several hip operations and why she’s competing even though she’s the oldest in her race, she replied simply: “because I can”.
Advertisement
When cyclist Kristin Armstrong of Boise, Idaho, was chosen for the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, instead of being showered with congratulations, she was beset with criticism.
Indeed Zabelinskaya beat her time by 16 seconds.
A bronze medal for van der Breggen, in a time of 44:37.80, capped off an impressive Olympic Games for the Dutchwoman, following her dramatic win in the women’s road race just three days ago.
The time trial requires a cyclist to go from A to B. Whoever gets to B fastest wins.
“It’s fantastic, I don’t know if it has hit me yet”, Armstrong told reporters after hugging her 5-year-old and holding up a sign that said “USA STRONG”.
She rode in the lead of the pack throughout the race, but Armstrong told NPR that toward the end her coach radioed her to say, “You’re in the medals”. The 5-year-old tucked his head under her arm. In 2008 and 2012, she took home time trial medals from Beijing and London, respectively. And she focused on raising Lucas. Armstrong works as a community health director for St. Luke’s Health System, and her small family keeps her both motivated and busy. “I love the challenge”. “When I won my first gold medal, it didn’t sink for a while”.
Compatriot Ellen van Dijk went off the road and had to be helped back on her bike attempting to climb a hill as the demands of the controversial course and weather took a heavy toll on the riders.
Abbott was leading a different event, the cycling road race, earlier this week, but she exhausted late and just missed out on a chance at the podium when three competitors passed her in the last section of the race.
Download the Team USA app today for breaking news, 2016 U.S. Olympic Team bios, videos and more.
An emotional Armstrong collapsed to the ground after crossing the finish line and learning she had earned another gold medal for her country. US time trial champion Carmen Small called for an arbitration hearing after being left off the team.
Armstrong woke up early Wednesday morning to use the restroom and peeked out the window.
Rain and heavy winds made an already hard track extremely challenging.
“The support that Mara’s turned around since her race Sunday has been phenomenal, ” Armstrong said.
It’s the bane of working moms – that seemingly non-existent quality you strive for yet never really find.
She also credited her US teammates with her win. Abbott left her notes – on her coffee cup, on her hairbrush, on her pillow, and then in her podium bag – reminding her that she’s a champion. It’s given me great pleasure to represent the team.
While she didn’t know it at the time, the daughter of a 26-year career Marine Corps officer was gaining valuable worldwide competition skills while a student athlete at Kubasaki High School in Okinawa, Japan. And right now he just wants to be a Stars Wars Jedi. While she was allowed to go in the hot seat, she already knew it wouldn’t be for long. On this day, they were also fighting against the rain.
Advertisement
A freelance writer based in Vermont, Peggy Shinn is in Rio covering her fourth Olympic Games.
