The international press was amazed at the Olympic champion. There was a lot of praise for Kiesenhofer and ridicule for the Dutch women.
Kiesenhofer in an interview with CNN.
With an aggressive spirit, courage and inspired by the men's race the day before, Anna Kiesenhofer dared the hussar ride. With a surprise attack right at the start, the mathematician calculated the best chances in the road bike race and rewarded herself with Olympic gold. “Crazy” and “unbelievable” was what Kiesenhofer called the huge sensation in the interview marathon.
“I never dared to dream of winning the Olympic Games. But the ambitious part of me always wants to win,” said the Lower Austrian. Her surprising triumph was not only enthusiastically received in Austria, the international press was also amazed at the performance. There was praise for Kiesenhofer and ridicule for the defeated Dutch women.
NETHERLANDS
- De Telegraaf:
“Sour silver for van Vleuten behind the forgotten Austrian amateur Anna Kiesenhofer. Olympic failure in bizarre race for Oranje cyclists.”
- AD:
“The Netherlands started the Olympic women's race with a team to dream about. But after 137 kilometers there was no prospect of a gold medal. Anna Kiesenhofer surprised everyone and drove to the Olympic victory. Annemiek van Vleuten drove to silver, but thought she had won. “
- NRC Handelsblad:
“A capital mistake destroys the Olympic dream in the women's road race. The Dutch women were a big favorite for gold. They missed that after a terrible communication error. The unknown Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer was suddenly Olympic champion.”
GERMANY
- Southgerman newspaper:
“In the women's road bike race, the Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer, 30, duped the highly preferred team from the Netherlands. Kiesenhofer, a mathematician, implemented her escape plan after one kilometer, 136 kilometers later she was the first to cross the finish line. Her triumph came so surprising that not even the highly favored, second-placed Annemiek van Vleuten had it on the bill. The Dutch rider crossed the finish line cheering, mistakenly believing she had won. ”
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:
“Anna Kiesenhofer almost lacked the strength to cheer after her journey to gold. It was only with great effort that the blatant outsider took her arms off the handlebars, shook her head in disbelief and finally fell as an Olympic champion onto the home straight of the Fuji International Speedway.”
FRANCE
- L'Equipe:
“At the start of the race the Dutch women could have speculated with a hat trick. At the finish they deserve a triple zero. They didn't understand that the Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer was still ahead.”
- Le Parisien:
“Van Vleuten throws up her hands thinking she's going to win gold … but is actually 2.”
ITALY
- Dolomites:
“Yesterday Anna Kiesenhofer rode the bike race of her life. Not on a smaller tour, but at her first Olympic Games. In Tokyo, she celebrated a sensational success in a road race against the entire world elite. Thanks to perfect tactics and as a part-time athlete ignored by the competition the 30-year-old celebrated a completely surprising solo victory. “
SPAIN
- Marca:
“Kiesenhofer's equation works: Hobby mathematician wins gold. The gold medalist has never been a professional because she prefers her career as a mathematician to cycling.”
SWITZERLAND
- Der Bund “/” Basler Zeitung “/” Tages-Anzeiger:
“Does she really think her daring plan could work? An attempt to escape at kilometer zero, immediately after the race has opened, could be worthwhile? Almost four hours later Anna Kiesenhofer is lying on the ground next to her racing bike on the Fuji International Speedway, completely exhausted. She breathes quickly and heavily, the sounds she makes are something between wheezing and sobbing. You don't see it yet, the strength to make grand gestures is lacking, but: She, the amateur, is an Olympic champion in the street race. “
Incrível! O que acaba de fazer Anna Kiesenhofer. Ouro para a Áustria no ciclismo feminino pic.twitter.com/9Vg6caFaW4
– Eurosport Portugal (@EurosportTV_Por) July 25, 2021
- Reuters news agency:
“Mathematics teacher Kiesenhofer trains Dutch masters. From time to time Olympia tells a story of the unexpected, an outsider who prevails against all odds. But Anna Kiesenhofer's victory in the women's road race is hard to beat.”
- TV broadcaster Eurosport (expert Rolf Aldag):
“The win was so well deserved. She gathered all her courage and brought the starting attack home. Anna also benefited a little from the fact that the others didn't trust her to do it.”
