Italy's Viviani wins gold

Viviani led his rivals entering the points race, the last race in the six-discipline event, and did enough to hold off Cavendish and Hansen to win Italy’s second cycling medal of the Rio Games.

Elia Viviani of Italy throws his arms up in joy after the victory.

Elia Viviani of Italy held off Britain’s Mark Cavendish and reigning champion Norman Lasse Hansen of Denmark to win the gold medal in the cycling-track men's multi-discipline omnium.

Viviani led his rivals entering the points race, the last race in the six-discipline event, and did enough to hold off Cavendish and Hansen to win Italy’s second cycling medal of the Rio Games.

Cavendish earned the Olympic medal that has long eluded him. He missed out at the 2008 Beijing Games in the Madison and in the road race at the London Games four years ago.

The race was briefly neutralised with 99 of the 160 laps left when Cavendish cut down the track and into Park Sang-hoon. Park hit the deck hard, causing race leader Elia Viviani of Italy to also fall. Medical staff tended to Park on the apron. His neck was immobilised and he was strapped to a backboard before getting wheeled off the track.