Viviani wins gold for Italy, Cavendish adds to British haul

Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish finished second in the omnium to win his first Olympic medal.

Viviani, who began the final event with a 16-point lead over Cavendish, got back on his bike though and, after Cavendish and Hansen both threatened to overhaul him, he remained admirably cool and composed in the frantic dash for points.

Denmark’s defending champion Lasse Norman Hansen took bronze with 192 points.

At the London world championships in March, Gaviria, Roger Kluge and Australian Glenn O’Shea all ended on 191 points in a nerve jangling finale, with Gaviria taking the title by virtue of having won two of the six elements. It was also Viviani’s first career medal.

“I’m happy. But for the points I lost in elimination, I could have been right up with Elia”, said Cavendish, who was missing only one major honour from his palmares before this race – an Olympic medal.

Gaviria was 22 points behind and the question for Cavendish was whether to gamble a podium place in search of gold.

An early 10 points in the 160-lap race was the flawless start. Cavendish held on, although there could yet be an intervention from the officials.

Elia Viviani won the track omnium at the Rio Games. The 31-year-old Manxman will be 35 by Tokyo 2020 and may have achieved everything he wishes on the road by then, so another Olympic track bid should not be discounted.

But it would have looked even more promising if he had stayed in contention for longer in the elimination race.

Britain had four golds and two silvers from five events entered after four days of action in the velodrome.

Becky James and Katy Marchant booked places in the quarter-finals of the women’s sprint with victories in the 1/8 final.