Team GB cyclists win gold and break world record

Team GB won the gold in the team sprint event with a time of 42.6 seconds – breaking the world record they had set an hour earlier. It was the fifth gold medal won by Sir Chris Hoy, equalling the record of Sir Steve Redgrave.

Hoy, Kenny and Hindes, set out their stall early in the final heat of the quarter finals – breaking the world record with a sprint time of 42.747 seconds.

In an earlier heat Hindes, the new addition to the team, crashed at the start of a race against Germany. Team GB was given a restart and went onto the break the Olympic record with a time of 43.065 seconds.

In the bronze medal race Australia took on Germany with Australia, the current world champions, losing out to the Germans.

Pedalling pedigree

Hoy and Kenny were part of the gold medal winning sprint team at Beijing. This year Team GB came fifth in the European Championships in the Netherlands, and third in the World Cup event in London. In the 2010/2011 World Cup series the team picked up golds and silvers.

The record times set up a final race between Team GB and France, guaranteeing a gold or silver for the Team GB cyclists.

In the men’s team pursuit qualification round Team GB’s cyclists also broke a world record with a time of three minutes, 52.499 seconds. The team comprises Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh.

GB women relegated

Team GB’s men raced following dramatic events in the women’s sprint, with Victoria Pendleton and Jessica Varnish relegated during a heat for overtaking in the wrong part of the track, ending their hopes for a medal.

The final of the women’s team sprint race also ended in controversy with the Chinese team also being relegated. They completed the track the quickest and appeared to have won gold – only to find the relegation had put them in silver position with Germany taking gold. GB was placed eighth.