Wiggins, a member of the British team pursuit line-up, alongside Edward Clancy, Steven Burke and Owain Doull, smashed the world record in the heats and put away Australia in the final by lowering it again to 3:50.570.
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Sir Bradley Wiggins became the most decorated British Olympian in history here today after his team claimed a third successive team pursuit title with a last gasp victory in an enthralling contest with arch-rivals Australia.
However, world champions Australia looked to attack from the off and they led by 0.7 seconds at the halfway mark.
It took 3500 meters for Great Britain to draw level with the Australian men’s team pursuit team, another 250 to pass them, and then 250 more to seal the deal.
Athens 2004: Gold – individual pursuit; Silver – team pursuit; Bronze – Madison.
Speaking to a small group of journalists the afternoon after his triumph in the team pursuit, enjoying his down time with a cheeseburger from the press canteen, Wiggins backed Sutton to be cleared of wrong-doing by the inquiry set up into the organisation’s culture and said that Sutton had told him he wants to come back.
The medals came on what sport fans hope will be a repeat of Super Saturday from the London 2012 Olympics as track and field champions Greg Rutherford, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill try to defend their titles later.
Jason Kenny of Great Britain celebrates after setting a new Olympic record in the Men’s sprint qualifying at the Rio Olympic Velodrome during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.
Britain gradually closed the gap, but it was only when Australia were reduced to three men with six laps to go that they were reeled in.
The 36-year-old Briton won his eighth Olympic medal as the British track pursuit team stormed to a thrid straight Games gold, in a world record time to boot. I remember thinking if had to go to the job centre on Monday morning I could always say I’d got Olympic bronze.
But in cycling terms, Wiggins has something of a genius about him, and there is often a flipside to brilliant or creative people at the top of their professions.
Wiggins was tied with retired track cyclist Chris Hoy with seven medals apiece before winning his gold Friday night. But there you go – the legs do the talking and I’m happy and content with what I have done.
“The first people I bumped into when I came off the track was Steve Redgrave and Chris Hoy, and they’re my heros in Olympic sport”, said Wiggins.
Denmark beat New Zealand to take the bronze medal. “We are now on our third medal from Britain’s cyclists and I’m confident that we’ll be bringing home a few more over the coming days”. “We are very proud tonight and I am sure the whole nation will be too”. They are the reason we have trained so hard over the last two years. “I’ll be hungover tomorrow”, said Wiggins. “This is the best team we’ve ever had”.
“I can remember 16 years ago being in Sydney and seeing Steve win his fifth with Matt (Pinsent), James Cracknell and that”.
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But one final Olympic gold was enough to focus the mind.
