BRITS BREAK THEIR OWN TEAM PURSUIT WORLD RECORD
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Great Britain's Games just keeps getting better. The team pursuit quartet made mincemeat of the Russians to set a new world record time of 3-55.205.
They smashed their own best time of 3-56.322, set at the World Championships in March and will now face Denmark in tomorrow's gold medal final. As in the qualifying round, Bradley Wiggins swung off in the last kilometre once his job was done, leaving Ed Clancy, Paul Manning and Geraint Thomas to finish the job.
At last someone stepped up to challenge the British, when Denmark rode a very handy 3-56.831. Now they will have the unenviable task of trying to topple the unstoppable. It's a repeat of the World Championship final and Britain will fancy their chances of going even quicker.
Rebecca Romero and Wendy Houvenaghel already had the gold and silver sewn up in the women's individual pursuit, and they raced each other in the final to sort it out.
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Romero, the pre-Games favourite, got it with a confident ride. It took Britain's tally of cycling medals to five gold, three silver and two bronze.
In the sprint competitions, all three British competitors are through to the quarter-final stage, which will be held tomorrow.
Victoria Pendleton will face the woman she beat 2-0 in the final at the World Championships in March ? Lithuania's Simon Krupeckaite.
Chris Hoy goes up against Mohd Azizulhasni Awang while Jason Kenny faces Frenchman Kevin Sireau.
| Men's team pursuit first round |
RESULTS
Denmark (Moerkoev, Joergensen, Madsen, Rasmussen) 3-56.831 beat France (Gaudin, Ladagnous, Riblon, Rousseau) 4-09.588
Australia (Bobridge, Brown, Jamieson, McGee) 3-58.633 beat Netherlands (Heimans, Mouris, Slippens, Stroetinga) CAUGHT
New Zealand (Bewley, Roulston, Ryan, Sergent) 3-57.536 beat Spain (Escobar, Maeztu, Muntaner, Miguel Parra) CAUGHT
Great Britain (Clancy, Manning, Thomas, Wiggins) 3-55.205 beat Russia (Kovalev, Markov, Petrovskiy, Serov) CAUGHT
BRONZE MEDAL RACE
To be held on Monday
New Zealand v Australia
GOLD MEDAL RACE
To be held on Monday
Great Britain v Denmark
| Men's sprint |
Chris Hoy will face Malaysia's Mohd Azizulhasni Awang in Monday's best of three quarter-final.
Awang has already lost to Jason Kenny in the 1/8 round of the competition and had to come through to the last eight via the repechage.
Kenny's task could be a lot tougher. He faces the Frenchman Kevin Sireau, although in the competition so far Kenny has been quicker and Sireau had to come through the repechage too.
Mickael Bourgain meets Theo Bos, meaning one of the other threats to the British pair's medal hopes will go out tomorrow.
1/8 FINALS REPECHAGE
Heat 1
1. Kevin Sireau (France) 10.570 Q
2. Kazunari Watanabe (Japan)
3. Ryan Bayley (Australia)
Heat 2
1. Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia) 11.010
2. Stefan Nimke (Germany)
3. Roberto Chiappa (Italy)
QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Races on Monday, best of three goes through
Chris Hoy (Great Britain) v Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia)
Kevin Sireau (France) v Jason Kenny (Great Britain)
Maximilian Levy (Germany) v Teun Mulder (Netherlands)
Mickael Bourgain (France) v Theo Bos (Netherlands)
| Women's sprint |
Victoria Pendleton will face Lithuania's Simona Krupeckaite ? the woman she beat 2-0 in the final at the World Championships in March ? in Monday's quarter-final of the women's sprint.
Pendleton qualified fastest and then made short work of the Japanese rider Sakie Tsukuda in the first knock-out round.
| Women's sprint 1/8 repechage |
RESULTS
Heat 1
1. Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) Q
2. Lisandra Guerra (Cuba)
3. Sakie Tsukunda (Japan)
Heat 2
1. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) Q
2. Swetlana Grankowskaja (Russia)
3. Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Races tomorrow, best of three goes through
Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) v Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) v Shuang Guo (China)
Anna Meares (Australia) v Clara Sanchez (France)
Willy Kanis (Netherlands) v Jennie Reed (USA)
RELATED NEWS: KENNAUGH WINS PRESTIGIOUS UNDER-23 ROAD RACE IN ITALY
While the British riders are dominating on the track, the next generation are being inspired to great success of their own.
Very early this morning we spoke to Rod Ellingworth, British Cycling's Academy coach about Peter Kennaugh's victory in the Fabio Casartelli memorial race in Italy yesterday. There's also a video on You Tube that we've embedded to capture the moment. It's not quite BBC quality but still great to see a British rider take such a prestigious under-23 race win.
| Men's sprint 1/8 finals |
Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny were both impressive as they marched into tomorrow's quarter finals, again avoiding the awkward repechage run-off that is the fate of the losers.
Once the 1/8 final repechage round is run later today, the draw for the quarter finals will be made. Then it is knock-out, best of three races, winner goes through, losers go out. That's when the real competition starts. And the final isn't until Tuesday, so this is a long campaign.
The Dutch pair Mulder and Bos are through into form, but Kevin Sireau will have to go through the repechage to reach the quarter-finals. Bos has been very low-key so far and word reaches us from our man in the Beijing velodrome that Bos told a Dutch journalist he's finding it very hard when he sees the form of the British pair.
RESULTS
Chris Hoy (Great Britain) beat Kazunari Watanabe (Japan)
Jason Kenny (Great Britain) beat Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia)
Teun Mulder (Netherlands) beat Stefan Nimke (Germany)
Theo Bos (Netherlands) beat Kevin Sireau (France)
Mickael Bourgain (France) beat Roberto Chiappa (Italy)
Maximilian Levy (Germany) beat Ryan Bayley (Australia)
| Women's sprint 1/8 finals |
On this evidence Victoria Pendleton is head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. She made short work of reaching the quarter finals, stretching well clear of Japan's Sakie Tsukuda, and having time to ease up in the finishing straight.
RESULTS
Winners into Monday's quarter finals, losers into repechage
Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 11.736 beat Sakie Tsukuda (Japan)
Shuang Guo (China) 11.410 beat Swetlana Grankowskaja (Russia)
Anna Meares (Australia) 11.663 beat Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
Willy Kanis (Netherlands) 12.155 beat Lisandra Guerra (Cuba) Relegated
Jennie Reed (USA) 11.955 beat Simona Krupeckaite (Liuthuania)
Clara Sanchez (France) 11.607 beat Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus)
| Men's sprint 1/8 finals |
The draw for the 1/8 finals. Winners go through to tomorrow's 1/4 finals. Losers go into yet another repechage.
Chris Hoy (Great Britain) v Kazunari Watanabe (Japan)
Jason Kenny (Great Britain) v Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia)
Stefan Nimke (Germany) v Teun Mulder (Netherlands)
Kevin Sireau (France) v Theo Bos (Netherlands)
Mickael Bourgain (France) v Roberto Chiappa (Italy)
Ryan Bayley (Australia) v Maximilian Levy (Germany)
| Men's sprint 1/16 repechage |
RESULTS
Heat 1
1. Teun Mulder (Netherlands) 10.899 Q
2. Mark French (Australia)
3. Denis Dmitriev (Russia)
Heat 2
1. Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia) 10.959 Q
2. Tsubasa Kitatsuru (Japan)
3. Lukasz Kwiatkowski (Poland)
Heat 3
1. Kazunari Watanabe (Japan) 10.965 Q
2. Michael Blatchford (USA)
3. Lei Zhang (China)
| Women's individual pursuit finals |
Rebecca Romero won the battle of the Brits in the women's individual pursuit to complete the most remarkable transformation from rowing to cycling.
Wendy Houvenaghel, who stepped up significantly from her previous World Championship performances, had to settle for silver, which was still a very fine achievement.
Houvenaghel was looking to become the first Northern Irish athlete to win an Olympic gold medal since Mary Peters in the pentathlon in 1972.
And Romero, who won silver in the rowing quadruple sculls in Athens four years ago, wanted to better that.
Britain's only ever Olympic medal in the women's individual pursuit prior to today was Yvonne McGregor's bronze in Sydney eight years ago.
Romero was in control from the early stages and once in front, piled on the pressure.
It is Britain's fourth gold medal in the five track cycling events, and fifth cycling gold in all. It's also the only medal up for grabs today.
A reminder of that haul so far:
GOLD ? 5
Nicole Cooke, women's road race (Sunday, August 10)
Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, men's team sprint (Friday, August 15)
Bradley Wiggins, men's individual pursuit (Saturday, August 16)
Chris Hoy, men's Keirin (Saturday, August 16)
Rebecca Romero, women's individual pursuit (Sunday, August 17)
SILVER ? 3
Emma Pooley, women's time trial (Wednesday, August 13)
Ross Edgar, men's Keirin (Saturday, August 16)
Wendy Houvenaghel, women's individual pursuit (Sunday, August 17)
BRONZE ? 2
Chris Newton, men's points race (Saturday, August 16)
Steven Burke, men's individual pursuit (Saturday, August 17)
WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT
BRONZE MEDAL RACE
Lesya Kalitovska (Ukraine) 3-31.413 beat Alison Shanks (New Zealand) 3-34.156
GOLD MEDAL RACE
Rebecca Romero (Great Britain) 3-28.321 beat Wendy Houvenaghel (Great Britain) 3-30.395
PODIUM
1. Rebecca Romero (Great Britain)
2. Wendy Houvenaghel (Great Britain)
3. Lesya Kalitovska (Ukraine)
| Men's sprint 1/16 round |
Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny progressed smoothly into the 1/8 finals by beating Denis Dmitriev of Russia and Lukasz Kwiatkowski of Poland respectively.
So far, so good for the British pair who will wait for the draw for the 1/8 round after the repechages.
The threat is likely to come from the familiar direction in later rounds. The French pair Kevin Sireau and Mickael Bourgain look good, as does Ryan Bayley of Australia. Theo Bos made hard work of his match, but he was up against tough opposition in Mark French.
1/16 FINALS RESULTS
Winners into 1/8 finals, losers to repechage
Chris Hoy (Great Britain) 10.607 beat Denis Dmitriev (Russia)
Jason Kenny (Great Britain) 10.672 beat Lukasz Kwiatkowski (Poland)
Stefan Nimke (Germany) 10.828 beat Lei Zhang (China)
Kevin Sireau (France) 10.742 beat Michael Blatchford (USA)
Mickael Bourgain (France) 10.562 beat Tsubasa Kitatsuru (Japan)
Maximilian Levy (Germany) 10.840 beat Teun Mulder (Netherlands)
Ryan Bayley (Australia) 10.762 beat Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia)
Roberto Chiappa (Italy) 10.786 beat Kazunari Watanabe (Japan)
Theo Bos (Netherlands) 10.959 beat Mark French (Australia)
| Early session |
Britain's total dominance on the track continued in the early session. The team pursuit squad qualified fastest, more than two seconds quicker than than the second placed New Zealand team.
Victoria Pendleton topped qualifying with a new Olympic record in the women's sprint.
And Jason Kenny and then Chris Hoy broke the Olympic record for the 200metre flying start in quick succession to leave the two Brits one and two in the men's sprint qualifying.
Later today the sprint competitions continue with the knock-out races and the team pursuit continues with GB facing Russia in round one.
The only medals up for grabs today are in the women's individual pursuit. Britain already has gold and silver in the bag, with Rebecca Romero set to face Wendy Houvenaghel in the final.
So far in this Games, British riders have qualified fastest in every event on the track and won every race ? except the men's points race, and Chris Newton took bronze in that.
Join us later for more news from Beijing. The action resumes at 9.30am UK time with the men's sprint continuing.
| Men's sprint qualifying |
Jason Kenny set a new lifetime best and Olympic record, breaking Australian Gary Neiwand's time, for the flying 200 metres in the men's sprint qualifying round.
A few minutes later Chris Hoy went quicker to leave Britain first and second in qualifying. They were the only two to go under 10 seconds.
It means Hoy will face Denis Dmitriev of Russia, with Kenny up against Lukasz Kwiatowski of Poland in the 1/16 finals.
Hoy is on course for his third gold of the Games after winning the team sprint on Friday and the Keirin yesterday.
ROUND 1/16 DRAW
Sunday 9.30am: Winners go through. Losers into repechage
Chris Hoy (Great Britain) v Denis Dmitriev (Russia)
Jason Kenny (Great Britain) v Lukasz Kwiatkowski (Poland)
Lei Zhang (China) v Stefan Nimke (Germany)
Kevin Sireau (France) v Michael Blatchford (USA)
Mickael Bourgain (France) v Tsubasa Kitatsuru (Japan)
Maximilian Levy (Germany) v Teun Mulder (Netherlands)
Ryan Bayley (Australia) v Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia)
Roberto Chiappa (Italy) v Kazunari Watanabe (Japan)
Mark French (Australia) v Theo Bos (Netherlands)
QUALIFYING ROUND RESULTS
1. Chris Hoy (Great Britain) 9.815sec
2. Jason Kenny (Great Britain) 9.857
3. Stefan Nimke (Germany) 10.064
4. Kevin Sireau (France) 10.098
5. Mickael Bourgain (France) 10.123
6. Maximilian Levy (Germany) 10.199
7. Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia) 10.272
8. Roberto Chiappa (Italy) 10.314
9. Theo Bos (Netherlands) 10.318
10. Mark French (Australia) 10.337
11. Kazunari Watanabe (Japan) 10.346
12. Ryan Bayley (Australia) 10.362
13. Teun Mulder (Netherlands) 10.373
14. Tsubasa Kitatsuru (Japan) 10.391
15. Michael Blatchford (USA) 10.470
16. Lei Zhang (China) 10.497
17. Lukasz Kwiatkowski (Poland) 10.504
18. Denis Dmitriev (Russia) 10.565
Eliminated
19. Adam Ptacnik (Czech Republic) 10.569
20. Vasileios Reppas (Greece) 10.966
21. Daniel Novikov (Estonia) 11.187
| Women's sprint qualifying |
Victoria Pendleton got her campaign off to the perfect start with a new Olympic record time for the 200 metre flying start.
It was a slightly peculiar session because all 12 riders knew they would go through to the 1/8 finals, with the times sorting out the draw for the knock-out competition.
Pendleton, whose time for 200 metres was 10.963 seconds, will face Sakie Tsukada of Japan later today. Pendleton's new Olympic record was the only time inside 11 seconds.
1/8 FINALS DRAW
Sunday 10.25am: Winners go through to 1/4 final, losers into repechage round
Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) v Sakie Tsukuda (Japan)
Shuang Guo (China) v Swetlana Grankowskaja (Russia)
Anna Meares (Australia) v Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
Lisandra Guerra (Cuba) v Willy Kanis (Netherlands)
Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) v Jennie Reed (USA)
Clara Sanchez (France) v Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus)
QUALIFYING ROUND RESULTS
1. Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 10.963sec
2. Shuang Guo (China) 11.106
3. Anna Meares (Australia) 11.140
4. Willy Kanis (Netherlands) 11.167
5. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) 11.222
6. Clara Sanchez (France) 11.365
7. Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) 11.372
8. Jennie Reed (USA) 11.400
9. Lisandra Guerra (Cuba) 11.462
10. Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands) 11.533
11. Swetlana Grankowskaja (Russia) 11.544
12. Sakie Tsukuda (Japan) 12.134
| Men?s team pursuit qualifying |
Great Britain?s first-choice line-up of Ed Clancy, Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins qualified fastest and face Russia in the first round later today (11.25am UK time).
New Zealand were the only other team under four minutes as the expected threat from Denmark failed to materialize.
Australia?s time was almost five seconds slower than Great Britain?s.
Britain need to beat the Russians and post one of the two fastest winning times to make Monday?s gold medal race. The only hazard for the British quartet is if they catch the Russians, which seems a distinct possibility, and lose time getting past.
The Dutch had a disaster before the race. Niki Terpstra, who rides for Milram as a professional on the road, was knocked off his bike by a car on his way to the velodrome and reportedly broke his arm. Jens Mouris replaced him in the line-up but because of the delay the rest of the Dutch team only arrived at the venue with half an hour to spare.
FIRST ROUND DRAW
Denmark v France
Australia v Netherlands
New Zealand v Spain
Great Britain v Russia
Fastest two winners go through to gold medal race, other two winners will contest bronze. Losers go out.
QUALIFYING ROUND RESULTS
1. Great Britain (Clancy, Manning, Thomas, Wiggins) 3-57.101
2. New Zealand (Bewley, Gough, Ryan, Sergent) 3-59.277
3. Australia (Bobridge, Jamieson, McGee, Roberts) 4-02.041
4. Denmark (Christensen, Joergensen, Madsen, Rasmussen) 4-02.191
5. France (Gaudin, Ladagnous, Riblon, Rousseau) 4-03.679
6. Netherlands (Heimans, Mouris, Slippens, Stroetinga) 4-04.806
7. Spain (Escobar, Maeztu, Muntaner, Miguel Parra) 4-06.509
8. Russia (Markov, Petrovskiy, Serov, Trusov) 4-06.518
Eliminated
9 Ukraine (Dyudya, Polatayko, Polischyuk, Shchedov) 4-07.883
10 Colombia (Arango, Castro, Forero, Perez) 4-11.397
| OLYMPIC GAMES 2008: TRACK |
Day two in pictures
Sunday's action as it happened
Preview: Sunday at the Laoshan
Day two at the track: Summary of the action
Hoy and Edgar clean up in the Keirin
Wiggins gets pursuit gold, Burke wins bronze
Newton storms to bronze in points race
Saturday's action as it happened: Two gold, a silver and two bronze for Britain
Blog: Life in Laoshan
Day one in pictures
Brits blast to team sprint gold
Day one at the track: Summary of the action
Friday's action as it happened: Gold for team sprint trio; Wiggins, Houvenaghel and Romero well in control
Burke blasts to new individual pursuit PB
British track stars raring to go
What makes the Laoshan such a challenge
Picture special: CW takes you inside the Laoshan velodrome
Saturday's preview
Friday's preview
Can these legs make an Olympic champion?
Cavendish unlikely to ride individual pursuit
How many medals will Britain's riders win?
| OLYMPIC GAMES 2008: NEWS |
Positive test for cyclist at Olympic Games
Bettini chasing second Olympic gold
Romero poses nude for ad
British quartet eyeing new world record
As Olympics approach two new drugs emerge
Beijing Blog
Beijing Blog 2
Beijing Blog 3
| OLYMPIC GAMES 2008: ROAD |
Picture special: Women's time trial
Cancellara wins men's time trial gold
Men's time trial reaction: Steve Cummings on his ride
Women's time trial reaction: I feel fantastic, says Pooley
Pooley wins silver in women's time trial
Cooke's secret was the skinsuit
What the papers say... about Nicole Cooke
Analysis: women's road race
Gold for Nicole Cooke in Women?s road race
Reaction: It?s a dream to win Gold, says Cooke
Women's Olympic road race picture special
Sanchez gives Spain gold in thrilling men?s road race
Who is Samuel Sanchez?
Tactical analysis: Reading the men?s Olympic road race
British riders suffer in hot and humid Olympic road race
Rebellin misses out on golden birthday
Brailsford confident ahead of women?s road race
| OLYMPIC GAMES 2008: GUIDE |
Olympics cycling results>>
Cycling event schedule>>
Great Britain rider profiles>>
Cycling event guide>>
Photo gallery>>
Every British cycling medal ever won at the Olympic Games
From paupers to kings: The lottery funded revolution>>
Track results at the Worlds and Olympics 2004-2008
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Sports journalist Lionel Birnie has written professionally for Sunday Times, Procycling and of course Cycling Weekly. He is also an author, publisher, and co-founder of The Cycling Podcast. His first experience covering the Tour de France came in 1999, and he has presented The Cycling Podcast with Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe since 2013. He founded Peloton Publishing in 2010 and has ghostwritten and published the autobiography of Sean Kelly, as well as a number of other sports icons.
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