Holly Edmondston, seen here tracking Laura Kenny, put in a solid points race to conclude New Zealand's Olympics campaign. Photo / Getty
Holly Edmondston, seen here tracking Laura Kenny, put in a solid points race to conclude New Zealand's Olympics campaign. Photo / Getty
Kiwi Holly Edmondston has finished a respectable 10th in the women's omnium, after a gruelling day in the four-race event.
The 24-year-old rode a solid final points race – claiming one sprint and a third in another – but it was never going to be enough.
The South Canterbury rider, who overcame a back injury and illness during this Olympic cycle just to make it to Tokyo, showed her potential for the future, with 67 points.
Edmondston was also the last New Zealand athlete in action in Tokyo, at the end of a campaign that has yielded a record 20 medals (seven gold) and a slew of memorable performances.
"I am privileged," Edmondston told Sky Television. "I would love to end this campaign on a beautiful note. I didn't whip out a Campbell Stewart [performance] per se but I definitely gave it my all and I think that is what New Zealanders are good at, giving it their all."
"My goal this campaign was to be able to look back on my performance with pride and to be able to rewatch our videos that we get done for us. I think I can safely say yes, I am happy to rewatch those videos."
American Jennifer Valente claimed gold with 124 points, followed by Japanese world champion Yumi Kajihara on 110. Dutch veteran Kirsten Wild was a popular bronze medallist with 103. Defending Olympic champion Laura Kenny (Great Britain) finished sixth on 96 points.
Holly Edmondston, seen here tracking Laura Kenny, put in a solid points race to conclude New Zealand's Olympics campaign. Photo / Getty
Edmondston had a daunting task in the points race, 12th overall coming into the last event of the Omnium programme, with 60 points.
That placed her 34 points off the bronze medal position, held by Norway's Anita Yvonne Stenberg.
It meant she needed to lap the field at least once (20 points) and win several of the eight sprints available (five points per sprint).
Edmondston had finished ninth in the scratch race, a contest marred by two late crashes, where nine of the 20 strong field failed to finish.
It was not just riders affected by the crash either. An on-track official was removed from the track apron on a stretcher after Egyptian rider Ebtissam Zayed Ahmed rode right over a fellow competitor and into the official.
Edmondston, meanwhile, miraculously avoided the carnage, partly because she had been stuck towards the back of the field when most made their move.
Holly Edmondston was forced to take evasive action to avoid the crashed riders. Photo / Getty
She was then 14th in the tempo race, one of 11 riders who were lapped by the field. That put her 12th at the halfway point, an overall placing she maintained after the elimination race, which was arguably her best performance of the day.
Edmondston made an aggressive start to the climax of the programme, picking up two points for third on the first sprint.
The 80 lap was a highly tactical affair – at one point the pace slowed considerably – before Dane Amalie Dideriksen made a solo break with 60 laps to go, hoping to catch the field, before being joined by Wild, though they were both eventually reeled in.
Another breakaway made their charge, and Edmondston joined them with 26 laps remaining, but it never looked like they could get out of reach of the peloton.
The New Zealander claimed five points, from the sixth sprint, and pushed again on the final sprint but couldn't claim any more.
