Temecula Woman Third Entering Conclusion of Olympic Cycling Event

TEMECULA, CA - Cyclist Sarah Hammer of Temecula is in third place entering Tuesday's final day of the two-day women's omnium at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Hammer has 108 points. Laura Trott of Great Britain, the 2012 gold medalist in the event, leads with 118 points. Jolien D'Hoore of Belgium is second with 110, while Amalie Dideriksen of Denmark is fourth with 92.

Hammer began the event with a fourth-place finish in the 10-kilometer scratch race, won by Tatsiana Sharakova of Belarus, who broke for the front after the group stayed together for the first half of the race. Trott was second, outsprinting D'Hoore and Hammer to the finish.

Hammer was second behind Trott in the 3,000-meter individual pursuit, where two riders start at opposite sides of the track and race against the clock. Hammer was timed in three minutes, 26.988 seconds. Trott's time was 3:25.054.

Hammer was third behind Trott and D'Hoore in the elimination race, a bunch race with an intermediate sprint every two laps with the last rider each time eliminated.

Tuesday's competition begins with the 500-meter time trial, with the cyclists racing against the clock. The time trial is followed by the flying lap, where cyclists get 3 1/2 laps to build speed and are timed for the final 250 meters, and the 25-kilometer points race where riders score points for sprints that occur every 10 laps around the 250-meter track.

For each of the first five events, the winner receives 40 points, the second-place finisher 38 points, the third-place finisher 36 points and so forth.

In the points race, riders add to and lose points from their totals based on laps gained and lost, and points won in sprints.

Hammer, who will turn 33 on Thursday, was the silver medalist in the omnium in the 2012 Olympics.

She defeated Trott to win the omnium at the 2013 and 2014 UCI Track World Championships, while Trott won the event at the 2016 UCI Track World Championships with Hammer finishing third.

The 2000 graduate of Temecula's Chaparral High School was a member of the U.S. squad that won the silver medal in the team pursuit Saturday behind the British team, which included Trott.

Hammer was introduced to cycling when she was 8 years old by her father Cliff. She won her first national championship in 1995.

Hammer retired from cycling in 2003, selling most of her equipment, attending Palomar College and working various odd jobs. She was inspired to return to the sport after watching the 2004 Olympics on television and seeing her former teammates and competitors race.

Hammer was fifth in the individual pursuit race in the 2008 Olympics and failed to finish the points race. At the 2012 Olympics, Hammer won a silver medal in team pursuit in addition to her silver medal in the omnium.

– By City News Service. Photo Credit: Team USA/Flickr