Jennifer Valente added another medal to her collection at this year’s ‘super’ world championships in Glasgow, making her the USA’s most decorated track cyclist.
The Team USA star finished third in Sunday’s elimination race after making it down to the final three along with Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) and France’s Valentine Fortin. Valente made it to the final three, but she didn’t have the legs to follow when Kopecky and Fortin attacked going into the elimination lap and she rolled around to claim her bronze medal.
Her visit to the podium saw her move past American track legend Sarah Hammer to become the USA’s most decorated track rider with 16 elite world championship medals.
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“The race was good, hard but good. Following up the 2022 result with another bronze is good. I’m proud of the result. Taking home another medal is something no one should take for granted,” Valente said.
“I learned so much from the race. I was able to get a feel for what to expect on Wednesday. How this track will ride during the Omnium Scratch Race. How the riders will behave during the rest of racing.”
Valente already has a rainbow jersey in her back pocket after triumphing in the scratch race on day three, drawing level with Hammer in the medal tally. She wasn’t able to hit the podium in the team pursuit after the U.S. squad was knocked out in the first round by New Zealand, leaving them to settle for sixth.
Close calls
The 28-year-old bounced back in the elimination race to add a bronze medal to her collection. The early part of the race was disrupted with two separate incidents, which forced it to be neutralized.
The first saw Spain’s Laura Rodriguez Cordero eliminated after she pulled over to deal with a mechanical, but it took too long to fix it and she was not allowed to restart.
Valente was almost caught up in the second when Nafosat Kozieva of Uzbekistan bumped into the American and crashed, taking with her two other riders. Valente stayed upright to continue but Kozieva was eliminated when her mechanics were unable to get her bike in working order quickly enough.
In the case of a mechanical or crash, the race can be neutralized to allow the affected rider to get back on their bike, but the neutralization only lasts for the number of laps closest to 1,250m.
Valente had another scare midway through the event when she found herself at the back of the bunch as it approached the elimination line and she had to go the long way around the group to ensure she was safe.
She remained comfortably within the bunch for the remainder of the race until she was left with Kopecky and Fortin, who attacked as the bell rang for the elimination lap. Valente didn’t even attempt to follow, exhausted from her other efforts, and she sat up to ride through for third.
Valente has a busy program at the world championships and she will be competing again Monday with Lily Williams in the Madison before taking on the omnium Wednesday, where she is looking to defend her world title from last year.
Team USA has taken three medals so far during this ‘super worlds’ with Chloé Dygert also claiming a gold in the individual pursuit.