# Cycling at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's sprint

The women's sprint event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place from 6 to 8 August 2021 at the Izu Velodrome. 30 cyclists from 18 nations competed. Canadian rider Kelsey Mitchell won gold, with Olena Starikova from Ukraine and Lee Wai-sze from Hong-Kong completing the medal positions.
The medals were presented by Yasuhiro Yamashita, IOC member, Olympian, 1 Gold Medal, Japan; and the medalists' bouquets were presented by David Lappartient, President of the UCI, France.

## Background

This will be the 9th appearance of the event, which has been held at every Summer Olympics since the introduction of women's track cycling in 1988.
The reigning Olympic champion is Kristina Vogel of Germany. The reigning World Champion is Emma Hinze, also of Germany.

## Qualification

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 2 qualified cyclists in the women's sprint. Quota places are allocated to the NOC, which selects the cyclists. Qualification is entirely through the 2018–20 UCI nation rankings. The eight nations that qualify for the team sprint event may enter two cyclists each in the individual sprint (as well as the Keirin). The nations that qualify a cyclist through the Keirin rankings may also enter that cyclist in the sprint. Finally, seven places are allocated through the individual sprint rankings; these places must ensure that each of the five continents are represented. Because qualification was complete by the end of the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships on 1 March 2020 (the last event that contributed to the 2018–20 rankings), qualification was unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Competition format

For the first time since 2000, the sprint competition format is seeing significant changes. The number of main rounds is increasing from 5 to 6 and the number of repechages from 2 to 3. The competition begins, as usual, with a qualifying round of time trials (flying start 200 metres). The top 24 cyclists in the qualifying round (up from 18) qualify for match rounds. In each match round, the cyclists start side by side and must complete 3 laps of the track (750 metres). The last 200 metres are timed. The match rounds are as follows.
* Round 1 pairs the 24 cyclists into 12 heats; the winner of each advances to round 2 while the loser goes to the first repechage.
* The first repechage places the 12 cyclists into 4 heats of 3 cyclists each; the winner of each heat rejoins the round 1 winners in advancing to round 2 while the remaining cyclists are eliminated.
* Round 2 pairs the 16 cyclists into 8 heats; the winner of each advances to the 1/8 finals while the loser goes to the second repechage.
* The second repechage again has 4 heats, this time of 2 cyclists each; the winner of each rejoins the round 2 winners and advances to the 1/8 finals while the loser of each heat is eliminated.
* The 1/8 finals pairs the 12 cyclists into 6 heats; the winner of each advances to the quarterfinals while the loser goes to the third repechage.
* The third repechage has 2 heats of 3 cyclists each; the winner goes to the quarterfinals while all others are eliminated (the classification 9–12 race has been removed).
* The quarterfinals begins best-two-of-three matches; the 8 cyclists are paired into 4 quarterfinals. The winner of two races in each quarterfinal goes to the semifinals, while the loser is placed in the classification 5–8 race.
* The semifinals again uses best-two-of-three matches, with the 4 cyclists paired into 2 semifinals. The winner of each semifinal goes to the final, the loser goes to the bronze medal match.
* The finals round includes the final, bronze medal match, and classification 5–8 race. The final and bronze medal match are one-on-one, best-two-of-three in format; the classification 5–8 race is a single race of 4 cyclists.

## Schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
| Date | Time | Round |
| 6 August 2021 | 15:30 16:16 16:58 18:06 18:53 | Qualifying 1/32 finals 1/32 finals repechages 1/16 finals 1/16 finals repechages |
| 7 August 2021 | 15:30 16:13 16:39 | 1/8 finals 1/8 finals repechages Quarterfinals |
| 8 August 2021 | 10:18 11:06 11:20 | Semifinals Classification 5–8 Finals |

## Results
### Qualifying

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time | Behind | Notes |
| 1 | Lea Friedrich | Germany | 10.310 | | Q, OR |
| 2 | Kelsey Mitchell | Canada | 10.346 | +0.036 | Q |
| 3 | Emma Hinze | Germany | 10.381 | +0.071 | Q |
| 4 | Mathilde Gros | France | 10.400 | +0.090 | Q |
| 5 | Lauriane Genest | Canada | 10.460 | +0.150 | Q |
| 6 | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | 10.461 | +0.151 | Q |
| 7 | Shanne Braspennincx | Netherlands | 10.479 | +0.169 | Q |
| 8 | Katy Marchant | Great Britain | 10.495 | +0.185 | Q |
| 9 | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | 10.538 | +0.228 | Q |
| 10 | Zhong Tianshi | China | 10.559 | +0.249 | Q |
| 11 | Ellesse Andrews | New Zealand | 10.563 | +0.253 | Q |
| 12 | Daria Shmeleva | ROC | 10.667 | +0.357 | Q |
| 13 | Anastasia Voynova | ROC | 10.669 | +0.359 | Q |
| 14 | Kaarle McCulloch | Australia | 10.679 | +0.369 | Q |
| 15 | Daniela Gaxiola | Mexico | 10.682 | +0.372 | Q |
| 16 | Simona Krupeckaitė | Lithuania | 10.706 | +0.396 | Q |
| 17 | Yuka Kobayashi | Japan | 10.711 | +0.401 | Q |
| 18 | Bao Shanju | China | 10.723 | +0.413 | Q |
| 19 | Yuli Verdugo | Mexico | 10.818 | +0.508 | Q |
| 20 | Madalyn Godby | United States | 10.869 | +0.559 | Q |
| 21 | Lee Hye-jin | South Korea | 10.904 | +0.594 | Q |
| 22 | Charlene du Preez | South Africa | 10.974 | +0.664 | Q |
| 23 | Lyubov Basova | Ukraine | 10.981 | +0.671 | Q |
| 24 | Miglė Marozaitė | Lithuania | 11.031 | +0.721 | Q |
| 25 | Urszula Łoś | Poland | 11.047 | +0.737 | |
| 26 | Marlena Karwacka | Poland | 11.083 | +0.773 | |
| 27 | Kirstie James | New Zealand | 11.116 | +0.806 | |
| 28 | Jessica Lee | Hong Kong | 11.232 | +0.922 | |
| 29 | Coralie Demay | France | 11.849 | +1.539 | |
| | Laurine van Riessen | Netherlands | Did not start | Did not start | |

### 1/32 finals

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Gap | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Lea Friedrich | Germany | X | Q |
| 1 | 2 | Miglė Marozaitė | Lithuania | +0.370 | R |
| 2 | 1 | Kelsey Mitchell | Canada | X | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Lyubov Basova | Ukraine | +0.535 | R |
| 3 | 1 | Emma Hinze | Germany | X | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Charlene du Preez | South Africa | +0.415 | R |
| 4 | 1 | Mathilde Gros | France | X | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Lee Hye-jin | South Korea | +0.797 | R |
| 5 | 1 | Lauriane Genest | Canada | X | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Madalyn Godby | United States | +0.121 | R |
| 6 | 1 | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | X | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Yuli Verdugo | Mexico | +0.107 | R |
| 7 | 1 | Shanne Braspennincx | Netherlands | X | Q |
| 7 | 2 | Bao Shanju | China | +0.152 | R |
| 8 | 1 | Katy Marchant | Great Britain | X | Q |
| 8 | 2 | Yuka Kobayashi | Japan | +0.612 | R |
| 9 | 1 | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | X | Q |
| 9 | 2 | Simona Krupeckaitė | Lithuania | +0.102 | R |
| 10 | 1 | Zhong Tianshi | China | X | Q |
| 10 | 2 | Daniela Gaxiola | Mexico | +0.087 | R |
| 11 | 1 | Ellesse Andrews | New Zealand | X | Q |
| 11 | 2 | Kaarle McCulloch | Australia | +0.255 | R |
| 12 | 1 | Anastasia Voynova | ROC | X | Q |
| 12 | 2 | Daria Shmeleva | ROC | +0.056 | R |

### 1/32 finals repechages

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Gap | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Yuka Kobayashi | Japan | X | Q |
| 1 | 2 | Simona Krupeckaitė | Lithuania | +0.052 | |
| 1 | 3 | Miglė Marozaitė | Lithuania | +0.265 | |
| 2 | 1 | Bao Shanju | China | X | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Daniela Gaxiola | Mexico | +0.027 | |
| 2 | 3 | Lyubov Basova | Ukraine | +0.602 | |
| 3 | 1 | Kaarle McCulloch | Australia | X | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Yuli Verdugo | Mexico | +0.041 | |
| 3 | 3 | Charlene du Preez | South Africa | +0.354 | |
| 4 | 1 | Madalyn Godby | United States | X | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Lee Hye-jin | South Korea | +0.054 | |
| 4 | 3 | Daria Shmeleva | ROC | +0.057 | |

### 1/16 finals

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Gap | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Lea Friedrich | Germany | X | Q |
| 1 | 2 | Madalyn Godby | United States | +0.391 | R |
| 2 | 1 | Kelsey Mitchell | Canada | X | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Kaarle McCulloch | Australia | +0.135 | R |
| 3 | 1 | Emma Hinze | Germany | X | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Bao Shanju | China | +0.201 | R |
| 4 | 1 | Mathilde Gros | France | X | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Yuka Kobayashi | Japan | +0.485 | R |
| 5 | 1 | Lauriane Genest | Canada | X | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Anastasia Voynova | ROC | +0.035 | R |
| 6 | 1 | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | X | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Ellesse Andrews | New Zealand | +0.026 | R |
| 7 | 1 | Shanne Braspennincx | Netherlands | X | Q |
| 7 | 2 | Zhong Tianshi | China | +0.030 | R |
| 8 | 1 | Katy Marchant | Great Britain | X | Q |
| 8 | 2 | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | +0.025 | R |

### 1/16 finals repechages

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Gap | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | X | Q |
| 1 | 2 | Madalyn Godby | United States | +0.168 | |
| 2 | 1 | Zhong Tianshi | China | X | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Kaarle McCulloch | Australia | +0.117 | |
| 3 | 1 | Ellesse Andrews | New Zealand | X | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Bao Shanju | China | +0.234 | |
| 4 | 1 | Anastasia Voynova | ROC | X | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Yuka Kobayashi | Japan | +0.275 | |

### 1/8 finals

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Gap | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Lea Friedrich | Germany | X | Q |
| 1 | 2 | Anastasia Voynova | ROC | +0.135 | R |
| 2 | 1 | Kelsey Mitchell | Canada | X | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Ellesse Andrews | New Zealand | +0.005 | R |
| 3 | 1 | Emma Hinze | Germany | X | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Zhong Tianshi | China | +0.359 | R |
| 4 | 1 | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | X | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Mathilde Gros | France | +0.019 | R |
| 5 | 1 | Katy Marchant | Great Britain | X | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Lauriane Genest | Canada | +0.179 | R |
| 6 | 1 | Shanne Braspennincx | Netherlands | X | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | +0.045 | R |

### 1/8 finals repechages

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Gap | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Lauriane Genest | Canada | X | Q |
| 1 | 2 | Mathilde Gros | France | +0.001 | |
| 1 | 3 | Anastasia Voynova | ROC | +0.095 | |
| 2 | 1 | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | X | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Ellesse Andrews | New Zealand | +0.007 | |
| 2 | 3 | Zhong Tianshi | China | +0.056 | |

### Quarterfinals

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Decider (i.r.) | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | X | +0.018 | X | SF |
| 1 | 2 | Lea Friedrich | Germany | +0.001 | X | +0.019 | F5-8 |
| 2 | 1 | Kelsey Mitchell | Canada | X | X | | SF |
| 2 | 2 | Lauriane Genest | Canada | +0.041 | +0.058 | | F5-8 |
| 3 | 1 | Emma Hinze | Germany | X | X | | SF |
| 3 | 2 | Shanne Braspennincx | Netherlands | +0.098 | +0.074 | | F5-8 |
| 4 | 1 | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | X | X | | SF |
| 4 | 2 | Katy Marchant | Great Britain | +0.027 | +0.036 | | F5-8 |

### Classification 5–8

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Gap |
| 5 | Lea Friedrich | Germany | |
| 6 | Katy Marchant | Great Britain | +0.099 |
| 7 | Shanne Braspennincx | Netherlands | +0.126 |
| 8 | Lauriane Genest | Canada | +0.216 |

### Semifinals

| Heat | Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Decider (i.r.) | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | X | X | | QG |
| 1 | 2 | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | +0.040 | +0.128 | | QB |
| 2 | 1 | Kelsey Mitchell | Canada | X | +0.285 | X | QG |
| 2 | 2 | Emma Hinze | Germany | +0.101 | X | +0.176 | QB |

### Finals

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 |
| Gold medal final ||||||
| | Kelsey Mitchell | Canada | X | X |
| | Olena Starikova | Ukraine | +0.061 | +0.064 |
| Bronze medal final ||||||
| | Lee Wai-sze | Hong Kong | X | X |
| 4 | Emma Hinze | Germany | +0.964 | +0.233 |