London, England – Denmark's Lasse Norman Hansen used three strong performances Sunday to rally from behind and win the men's omnium event at the Olympic Velodrome.
The two-day event is new to the Olympic track cycling program, and consists of six events that test riders' all-around strength.
Sunday, Hansen won the individual pursuit, placed sixth in the scratch race despite crashing, and placed second in the 1,000-meter time trial. With points being awarded on an ascending basis -- 1 for first, 2 for second and so on -- the Dane finished with 27 points to earn gold.
He had won bronze in the omnium at this year's world championships.
France's Bryan Coquard was leading the event after the first day, but a 12th- place finish in the individual pursuit left him with the silver medal. Great Britain's Edward Clancy won bronze.
Hansen won the individual pursuit, a 4km race in which riders line up on opposite sides of the track and attempt to catch each other, with a time of 4 minutes, 20.674 seconds. Clancy was second in that event, only 0.179 seconds slower.
In the scratch race, a straightforward 15km race where points are awarded by order of finish, Hansen crashed after he clipped the back wheel of another rider while coming down the track. With his skinsuit torn, the Dane climbed aboard a different bike and completed the event in sixth place. Canada's Zachary Bell won that race.
After those events, he was tied with Coquard and Italy's Elia Viviani for first. But neither could match his speed in the kilometer test. He rode it in 1:02.314, which was more than a second slower than Clancy but still good enough for second. Coquard was fourth, while Viviani finished ninth.
American Bobby Lea ended the competition in 12th place.
There was also action in the men's and women's sprint events Sunday.
France's Gregory Bauge, a three-time world champion in the sprint, won his quarterfinal matchup to move into Monday's semifinals. He will face Australian Shane Perkins, who defeated U.S. sprinter Jimmy Watkins in the quarters.
Also moving on was Great Britain's Jason Kenny, the 2011 world champion and 2008 silver medalist. He will match up against Njisane Nicholas Phillip of Trinidad and Tobago.
Additionally, Victoria Pendleton and Anna Meares were among those who advanced to the quarterfinals of the women's sprint. Pendleton set an Olympic record in qualifying before winning her 1/8 match.
The British Pendleton is likely the favorite for the event. She is in form, having won gold in the keirin Friday, and has taken six of the last eight world titles in the discipline. She also earned the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. The Australian Meares won the world championship in 2011.
The women's sprint final rounds take place Tuesday.
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