Emma White and Lily Williams’ dream of becoming Olympic medalists were realized on Tuesday, as Team USA beat Canada in the final round of the team pursuit to earn bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“Earning a medal at the Olympics is every athlete’s dream,” said White. “We knew we were up on Canada in the last kilometer but we weren’t letting up! Preparing for this Games had been one of the most challenging experiences of my life and it has finally paid off.”
After Williams helped the team to third in the opening round on Monday, Rally Cycling alum Megan Jastrab stepped in to join White, Jennifer Valente, and Chloe Dygert for the final two rounds. The bronze medal matchup against Canada was set following a narrow defeat to the reigning Olympic champions from Great Britain despite going nearly three seconds faster than round one.
“I’ve been overwhelmed with pride here at the Olympics,” White added. “Since landing in Tokyo, there are so many people from the USOPC and the IOC making this an enjoyable, stress-free, and safe experience for us.”
-
- Germany set a world record during each round to secure gold.
White and Williams join the long list of Olympic medalists from Rally Cycling which includes Allison Beveridge, Kelly Catlin, Jasmin Duehring, and Kirsti Lay. The duo will return stateside over the coming days as they switch their focus to the road.
Team pursuit results
1 Germany 4:04.242
2 Great Britain 4:10.607
3 United States 4:08.040
4 Canada 4:10.552
5 Australia 4:11.041
6 Italy 4:11.108
7 France 4:10.388
8 New Zealand 4:10.600
