Cycling at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Cycling at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics featured 22 events.
The cycling program at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, included 22 events across five disciplines. Cycling has been part of every Summer Olympics since the first modern Games in 1896, alongside athletics, artistic gymnastics, fencing, and swimming. Starting with five track events and an 87 km road race from Athens to Marathon and back, Olympic cycling has gradually expanded to include women’s competitions, mountain biking, and BMX, reaching the current 22 events.
This edition added four more events than in 2016. BMX freestyle debuted, and the Madison events returned to the track after being dropped in 2012. The extra events were widely seen as a reward for the UCI’s agreement to move track cycling and mountain biking out of Tokyo to Izu, Shizuoka, saving the organizing committee significant costs. Because Izu was not under the Japanese government’s state of emergency, cycling was one of the few sports at these Games that allowed a limited number of local spectators.
Great Britain’s dominance in the velodrome weakened for the first time since 2008, with their three golds matched by the Netherlands, and six other golds shared among six nations. Britain also failed to win a road medal for the first time since 2004. However, with three golds, three silvers, and a bronze on the track, plus a highly successful mountain bike and BMX campaign (three golds, a silver, and a bronze from six events), Great Britain topped the cycling medal table for the fourth consecutive Olympics with twelve medals, six of them gold. The Netherlands followed closely with twelve medals but five golds. Together, these two nations won half of all 22 gold medals; no other nation won more than one. Apart from the 12 medals each for the “Big 2,” only the Swiss managed more than three total medals, thanks to their mountain bike podium sweep (four medals from six events).
During the Games, Jason Kenny and Laura Kenny set records as the most successful male and female Olympic cyclists in history. Jason earned a seventh gold in the men’s keirin, and Laura a fifth in the women’s Madison. They also became their nation’s most successful male and female Olympians overall.
**Venues** Track cycling was originally planned for a temporary venue in Ariake. To save $100 million in construction costs, after months of negotiations, it was moved to the
- events
- 22
- disciplines
- 5
- host_nation
- Japan
- top_medal_nation
- Great Britain
- new_event_added
- BMX freestyle
- returning_event
- Madison (track)
Lore & Background
The cycling program for this edition was expanded with 4 more events than those held in 2016. BMX freestyle was added in the program for the first time and there was also a return of Madison events on the track that had been removed from the Olympic program in 2012. The award of the extra events was widely seen as a reward for the agreement of the UCI that the track cycling and mountain bike events be taken out of Tokyo and held in Izu, Shizuoka, allowing for significant costs savings to the organising committee. As Izu was not covered by the state of emergency imposed by the Japanese government, cycling was one of the very few sports at these games that allowed a limited number of local spectators to attend.
Reader's Guide
Great Britain's stranglehold on the velodrome events slackened for the first time since 2008, with their three golds matched by the Netherlands and six other golds shared among six nations. They also failed to win a road medal for the first time since 2004. Nevertheless, with three golds, three silvers and a bronze inside the velodrome, and a hugely successful mountain bike and BMX campaign outside it (three golds, a silver and a bronze from the six events) for the fourth Olympics in a row, Great Britain topped the medal table in cycling with twelve medals, six gold, closely followed by the Netherlands with twelve medals but five golds. Between them the two top nations won half of all the 22 gold medals on offer in cycling; no other nation won more than one, and aside from 12 medals won by each of the 'Big 2', only the Swiss managed more than three medals in total, thanks to their dominance of the mountain bike podium (winning 4 medals from 6). During the Games, Jason Kenny and Laura Kenny respectively took the records for the most successful male and female Olympic cyclists in history, Jason with a seventh gold in men's keirin, and Laura with a fifth in women's madison. They also became their nation's most successful male and female Olympians in history.
Did You Know?
- BMX freestyle was added to the Olympic program for the first time at these Games.
- Madison events on the track returned after being removed from the Olympic program in 2012.
- Track cycling and mountain bike events were moved to Izu, Shizuoka, saving $100 million in construction costs.
- Jason Kenny won his seventh Olympic gold in men's keirin, becoming the most successful male Olympic cyclist.
More in Cycling at the Summer Olympics 1-24
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