France Adds to Haul; Nothstein in Final

After a three-hour rain delay at Stone Mountain, Ga., Felicia Ballanger of France beat Australia’s Michelle Ferris in the women’s cycling sprint finals, and the French pursuit team of Christophe Capelle, Philippe Ermenault, Jean-Michel Monin and Francis Moreau defeated Russia with an Olympic-record time of 4 minutes 5.930 seconds. France now has four golds in five finals.

Russia, which had set the record Friday, finished in 4:07.730.

Meanwhile, Marty Nothstein of Trexlertown, Pa., assured a dejected U.S. team of only its second cycling medal in these Games with a spectacular sweep of Australian Darryn Hill, the reigning world champion, and Canada’s Curt Harnett, bronze medalist in Barcelona, in the men’s sprint competition.

Nothstein will meet defending Olympic champion Jens Fielder of Germany today for the gold.

“He’s got to realize he’s racing here in Atlanta, on my home turf,” Nothstein said of Fielder. “So, I’m going to give him one hell of a fight.”

Nothstein, 25, won in consecutive rides against Hill and Harnett in the best-of-three match sprints. In this event, two riders jockey for position for two of the three laps, trying to gain an advantage for the final sprint, about 200 meters from the finish.

“I’m in the best shape of my life and I’m probably the sprinter with the most endurance out there,” Nothstein said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

MEDALISTS

Cycling

MEN’S TEAM PURSUIT

Gold: France

Silver: Russia

Bronze: Australia

*

WOMEN’S SPRINT

Gold: Felicia Ballanger, France

Silver: Michelle Ferris, Australia

Bronze: Ingrid Haringa, Netherlands