Sam Gaze showed great bravery in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event at the Olympics today but finished in 6th place.
After a tough 1 hour and 28-minute race, he missed out on a medal.
Gaze, a 28-year-old New Zealander with two Commonwealth Games gold medals, hoped for a strong Olympic performance.
The race had eight laps on a very challenging course.
Despite a difficult start, Gaze improved his position significantly. He was 16th after the first lap and 14th after the second lap. By the halfway point, he had climbed to 4th place, making his medal hopes look promising.
However, the intense race took its toll. Although Gaze stayed close to the leaders, he couldn’t maintain the pace needed to secure a top-three finish.
The race was won by Britain’s Tom Pidcock in 1 hour, 26 minutes, and 22 seconds. Victor Koretzky from France finished second, and South Africa’s Alan Hatherly took third place.
“I gave it everything I had,” Gaze said. “The race was incredibly fast, and I just couldn’t keep up near the end, even though I put everything into it.”
