Great Britain’s Jason Kenny, Phil Hindes and Callum Skinner have won the gold medal in the men’s team sprint at the Rio Olympics.
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Hindes, Kenny – champions with Hoy four years ago – and Skinner set an Olympic record in qualifying, but the standard was overtaken by New Zealand in the first round.
France’s Gregory Bauge, Francois Pervis and Michael D’Almeida took bronze by beating Australia.
While Team GB have become accustomed to success in cycling at Olympic Games, the trio of Sinner, Hides and Kenny were not widely expected to continue that dominance.
Britain have not won a medal of any colour in team sprint at the four world championships since London 2012 as the retired Hoy’s absence hit home, so this victory was an unexpected boost on the opening day of action on the boards.
He is now tied with Hoy with seven medals four gold, a silver and two bronze.
Britain put down a marker in the qualifying round when they trimmed the Olympic record to 42.562 only to watch New Zealand go even quicker in the first round to set up a showdown between the two fastest teams on the track.
“I spotted him there waving and he came to see us the other day to give us some support and that’s really worthwhile”, said Skinner, who has been compared to his fellow Scot Hoy.
“We can’t win worlds to save our lives, but we win the Olympics every time”. They did so just in time as Hindes emerged.
In the men’s team pursuit, Britain’s Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Owain Doull and Sir Bradley Wiggins clocked 3:51.943, nearly three and a half seconds clear of second-placed Denmark and just three-tenths off their own world record.
However, the British trio won the duel for gold.
“But the team event is always the best, no doubt about it”.
Another Briton, Bradley Wiggins, started his quest for a nationaö record eighth Olympic medal as part of the men’s pursuit team which also dominated qualifying. “There’s no better way to win it”.
And whether through body language around the track or through things they say, you can already sense an element of helplessness amongst Britain’s rivals. “It’s just incredible. There was no better way to win it”, he beamed.
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“Jason Kenny really looks in great form now and he has to be a favourite for the sprint”, the 40-year-old Hoy said on BBC One. It’s good to share it with your mates – it can get a bit lonely winning on your own. “I’m gutted that it’s not gold but it’s what we had in the tank”.
