Fiedler’s Best Day Is Golden

The way Marty Nothstein figured it, Germany’s Jens Fiedler needed the “best day of his life” to beat him in the Olympic men’s sprint final.

Fiedler got it, beating the American in the first two races of a best-of-three final for the gold medal.

Nothstein of Trexlertown, Pa., had predicted he would win America’s first cycling gold since the Los Angeles Games, but he lost the first race by less than an inch and never led in the next.

Canada’s Curt Harnett won the bronze medal.

Italy’s Antonella Bellutti beat France’s Marion Clignet, formerly of Bethesda, Md., for the women’s individual pursuit gold medal.

The bronze went to Germany’s Judith Arndt.

In the sprint finals, Italy’s Silvio Martinello, the reigning world champion points racer, won the men’s gold medal with 37 points, followed by Canada’s Brian Walton with 29 and Australia’s Stuart O’Grady with 27.

Nathalie Lancien won the women’s gold medal--France’s fifth, and seventh medal overall--by one point, fighting off Dutch hope Ingrid Haringa, with Lucy Tyler Sharman taking the bronze for Australia.

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MEDALISTS / Cycling

MEN’S POINT RACE

Gold: Silvio Martinello, Italy

Silver: Brian Walton, Canada

Bronze: Stuart O’Grady, Australia

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MEN’S SPRINT

Gold: Jens Fielder, Germany

Silver: Marty Nothstein, U.S.

Bronze: Curt Harnett, Canada

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WOMEN’S POINT RACE

Gold: Nathalie Lancien, France

Silver: Ingrid Haringa, Netherlands

Bronze: Lucy Tyler Sharman, Australia

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WOMEN’S PURSUIT

Gold: Antonella Belluti, Italy

Silver: Marion Clignet, France

Bronze: Judith Arndt, Germany