Team Sprint, Women

China and Germany were the two clear favourites for the team sprint title.

China were the defending Olympic champions, and Zhong Tianshi was hoping to win her second consecutive gold medal, having won gold at Rio with Gong Jinjie, when China won their first women’s Olympic cycling gold medal. Germany came to Tokyo as the reigning world sprint champions and their team of Lea-Sophie Friedrich and Emma Hinze were members of their 2020 World Championships gold medal-winning squad. Hinze was also the individual sprint and keirin world champion that year, while Friedrich won the 500 m time trial title.

Germany headed the Tokyo qualifying in a time of 32.102 with the defending champions China, with Bao Shanju as Zhong’s new partner, in second place. Netherlands were third fastest and the ROC fourth.

Having set a new world and Olympic record 31.804 in their first round heat against Lithuania, China went on to retain the gold medal they won at Rio in 2016 and double their women’s gold medal tally. They beat Germany by 0.085 of a second, despite being 0.325 up after the first lap. The bronze medal race was won by the ROC, with Netherlands finishing fourth.