When you’ve already been two times at the pinnacle of the sport, why risk coming back for the gold medal?
Advertisement
Armstrong said: “I don’t have words to describe it”. Her time of 44 minutes, 26.42 seconds topped reigning bronze medalist Olga Zabelinskaya of Russian Federation by the slimmest of margins – 5.55 seconds. “I have to give it everything for Mara”.
“I have to teach him that participation is good”.
Armstrong dismounted the moment she stopped the clock, too exhausted even to celebrate the latest triumph of her decorated career.
Cyclist Kristin Armstrong has a regular job and a son. “The race didn’t go the way I wanted”. Today the stars aligned. “But I knew how to get it done on one day”. “My coach said to me, ‘Okay, you decide what color medal you want to have.’ I dug so deep”.
“It’s fantastic, I don’t know if it has hit me yet”, she told reporters through tears after hugging her son and holding up a sign that said “USA STRONG”.
Zabelinskaya was the latest Russian being questioned about participation at the Rio Games in the wake of allegations of state-sponsored drug use. She lay motionless as the rest of the field passed her on the way to the finish. The devastating loss could have sent Abbott into a shell, but Armstrong says Abbott took the loss and channeled the energy into support for her teammate.
Armstrong, a two-time world champion, hit the first time check atop the 1.3km Grumari climb after 10km with a 4.9sec lead over Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy and 6.32sec to Van der Breggen.
Armstrong’s husband Joe Savola, who spoke to KTVB from Rio after her victory, said the win is a product of her never-give-up attitude. “Why am I crying?” “That’s what we do, we cry when we’re happy”.
American cyclist Kristin Armstrong pushed so hard to win a historic third gold medal on Wednesday that it left her collapsed on the ground with a bloody nose. She won the time trial in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. Personally, my ability to focus took on a laser-like quality once I had kids. That was my vision, that was my dream.
“Yes, I can eat my cake too!”
“For all the moms out there, I hope this was an inspiring day”.
Cycling’s time trial has always been called the race of truth. It didn’t always used to be that hard.
Armstrong also just “loves a challenge”, she said said in a teleconference (via CyclingNews.com) on Tuesday night. She’s also the director of community health at a hospital, and wants to spend more time doing the kind of outreach that truly drives her these days.
Armstrong said she spends her says working with non-profit groups, bridging a gap between physicians and disease prevention programs. I’m super excited, and I’m so grateful for all the sacrifices.
“To leave the sport at the end of this season with the gold medal is just a flawless way to end my career”. She called it quits after the London 2012 Olympics, only to come out of retirement in 2015.
Advertisement
“After missing out on gold in London and all the ups and downs I’ve had since then, this is just wonderful to win the gold today”.
