The first competition of the season is in the books. And what a competition it was on this impressive Olympic track!
At today’s race day the temperatures were pretty warm and unlike the weather forecast, the sun did show up a bit, nevertheless the light was different than during training and quali days, but the course was in good shape and the athletes were of course pumped to send it for the first time this season.
Samkova unstoppable
The big final of women saw 2018 Olympic champion Michela Moioli (ITA), 2018 Olympic bronze medallist Eva Samkova (CZE), World Champion Charlotte Bankes (GBR) and Austria’s young gun Pia Zerkhold in the start gate.
Samkova, as in every heat of the day, pitchforked herself out of the start gate into the lead, while World and Olympic champion battled for the second and third spot and the 23-year-old Austrian, who was in the big final for the first time in her career, was in fourth position.
It was Bankes, who got into second position and Moioli was in third. Zerkhold was not able to catch up to the rest of the pack, but in the front, there were some passes and fights going on, especially between Bankes and Eva for the lead. For a short moment, the World Champion managed to get into the lead, but it was Samkova in the end, who managed to gain enough speed for the final roller section and to get over the final jump and through the finish line.
