Many of his team-mates believe he will eventually reach double figures in gold medals, which would make him not only Britain’s greatest Olympian by far, but only the second person in history, after USA swimmer Michael Phelps, to reach double figures. Britain did not qualify for the seventh, the women’s team sprint.
Advertisement
Earlier on Tuesday, Edmondson had won the 500m time trial and was second in the flying lap to close to within four points of Hammer and Belgium’s eventual bronze medallist Jolien D’Hoore.
The track programme concludes at the Rio velodrome on Tuesday when, as well as the omnium, the women’s sprint and men’s keirin will also be decided.
She came second in the opening scratch race and won the individual pursuit and elimination race – a discipline which has become her trademark – to lead on 118 points.
Trott produced a remarkable performance in the individual pursuit, stopping the clock nearly two seconds ahead of Hammer in a time of 3min 25.054sec, and she looked just as supreme on the way to a seemingly easy victory in the elimination race.
Big questions have been asked about the level of progress in such a short space of time, but British cycling’s head coach has hit back at other nations such as Australia for kicking up a fuss.
“She’s queen of the elimination once again”.
The Briton finished with 230 points, 24 clear of her nearest rival, after enhancing her advantage in the discipline which was once her Achilles heel. Kenny and Skinner also won the team sprint last Thursday.
James, 24, edged Virginie Cueff of France on the home straight before Marchant, 23, overcame German Miriam Welte.
James will meet China’s Zhong Tianshi in the best-of-three quarter-finals and Marchant is up against experienced Lithuanian Simona Krupeckaite.
“Me and Jason speak about it and he wants the same so I definitely want children in the future”, she told the Evening Standard.
Advertisement
“I promised myself some time to comprehend everything and make a decision”.
