Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi won China’s first Cycling gold of Rio 2016 as they eased past Anastasia Voinova and Daria Shmeleva of Russia in the final.

The Chinese duo had set a world record to qualify for the final and though they did not improve on that, their time of 32.10 seconds was more than enough to take the title.    

Meanwhile, in the bronze race, Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte of Germany edged out the Australian pair of Stephanie Morton and Anna Meares to finish in third.

Bronze medal race: Germans come from behind

For almost the whole race the Australian duo was ahead, though an inspired last lap by Vogel meant that it was the Germans who won their first cycling medal of the games.

There was never too much in it but at the halfway stage it was the Australian’s that had the lead, and Morton was leading with just 125 meters to go.

However, Vogel, who with Welte had decreased the lead, produced a sensation final few meters to secure victory in a time of 32.63 seconds; just 0.02 ahead of the time Morton and Meares completed.

Gold medal race: China always in control

To make the final, Jinjie and Tianshi has set an incredible world record of 31.92 seconds and though, with Voinova and Shmeleva also impressing to qualify, they were not clear cut favorites, it seemed unlikely that they would be defeated.

Anastasia Voinova and Daria Shmelova in action during the final of the Women's Team Sprint (Getty/Bryn Lennon)
Anastasia Voinova and Daria Shmeleva in action during the final of the Women's Team Sprint (Getty/Bryn Lennon)

The two were in charge in the early stages, leading at the first checkpoint, and though it seemed that the Russian pairing could pull closer, it did not come to fruition as a dominant final lap lead Jinjie and Tianshi gold in a time of 32.10 seconds, with Voinova and Shmeleva finishing with a time of 32.40 seconds.

In the World Championships final earlier this year the final were contested by the same pairings, with Jinjie and Tianshi made up for their disqualification in that race with an impressive evening.

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About the author
Oliver Dickson Jefford
20. English Literature student at the University of Southampton. Aspiring sports journalist from Hertfordshire.