Filippo Ganna sets record at Track Cycling World Championships

• Filippo Ganna smashed the men’s individual pursuit world record at the Track Cycling World Championships by almost 0.3 seconds. 
• Meanwhile, Jeniffer Valente won the first gold medal for the United States at the 2022 world championships after dominating the women’s omnium. 

Filippo Ganna set a groundbreaking record in the 4 km individual pursuit at the Track Cycling World Championships. 

The Italian cyclist posted a time of 3 minutes 59.636 seconds to win gold at the Saint Quentin en Yvelines velodrome on Friday. 

Filippo Ganna broke the record previously set at the World Championships by Ashton Lambie (USA) by almost 0.3 seconds.

Filippo Ganna. Photo/ Cycling Tips.

The 26-year-old is the first rider to go under four minutes at sea level. He is also the second rider in history to win a race in less than four minutes. 

Ganna defeated compatriot Jonathan Miller who won silver at the event by 0.4.154 seconds. Ivo Manuel Alves Oliveira of Portugal won bronze at the Track Cycling World Championships ahead of Dan Bigham. 

Filippo Ganna, the first rider to ever go below four minutes at sea level, received a standing ovation after setting a new record at the Track Cycling World Championships. 

Speaking after his victory, Filippo Ganna said that it has been an amazing week. The Italian cyclist stated that he now needs to celebrate and recover a little bit after claiming yet another rainbow jersey. 

“I think it’s an amazing week. I tried to do something special, and I think I’ve realized one of my dreams. I tried to do the hour record and the individual pursuit record, and now I need to celebrate and recover a little bit because it’s been a really testing season.”

Filippo’s victory at the Track Cycling World Championships comes six days after he set an hour record in Switzerland. 

Jennifer Valente Wins Women’s Omnium

Meanwhile, Jennifer Valente dominated the women’s omnium and won a gold medal.

Jennifer Valente defeated Maike van der Duin by nine points and Maria Martins by 19 points in the four-race discipline; the points race, scratch race, tempo race and elimination race.

The 27-year-old took an early lead in the four-race event blasting out of the bunch with five laps to go. However, she lost the lead in the tempo race as five riders went past her. 

Jennifer Valente took the lead again at the Elimination race as her rival Maike van der Duin fell too far back. 

At the end of the race, Jeniffer Valente had gathered 118 points, while Maike van der Duin had managed 109 points. 

Jennifer Valente won the first gold medal for the United States at the 2022 world championships. It’s the first world title in omnium for the American racing cyclist.

Jennifer Valente. Photo/ KOAA.

Speaking after her victory, Jennifer Valente acknowledged the support that her teammate had provided her.  

“This was a really big goal for me personally, and I had my whole team behind me supporting me for a long time to achieve this. So to have a lot of them here tonight is really special.”