Gold for Great Britain in men's team sprint at Rio Olympics
Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner beat New Zealand to take gold in the men's team sprint at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Great Britain have done it again. After years of under-performing in the team sprint they pulled out the stops to ride to an astonishing gold in Rio and take their third Olympic title in three consecutive Games.
The trio of Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Olympic debutant Callum Skinner beat world champions New Zealand by just one tenth of a second, setting their second Olympic record of the night and taking the gold medal.
Having failed to register a result in world championships since 2011 the Brits rode the perfect final.
Philip Hindes rode a 17-second opening lap as Jason Kenny laid off him by just a couple of metres.
This allowed Kenny to run at Hinde’s back wheel as he swung up after completing his lap, but crucially Callum Skinner, riding at his first Olympic Games and shouldering all the pressure as man three, was nestled in behind Kenny, right on his wheel, perfectly positioned to hide in his slip stream.
As the New Zealand team found themselves slightly stretched under the frenetic pace, GB were producing their greatest ever performance – faster even than Sir Chris Hoy ever went.
Callum Skinner is undoubtedly the surprise package in this team. Both Hindes and Kenny were part of the winning team in 2012 and were the fastest riders at the world championships in London this March. The only reason GB didn’t get a result was because Skinner simply couldn’t produce the acceleration to keep up with his two team mates.
>>> Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Latest news, reports and info
Tonight he nailed it. In all three rounds he was straight on to Kenny’s rear wheel saving as much energy as he could at 65kmph before riding the final lap. It’s a role that comes with the tag ‘the next Chris Hoy’ and has done for several riders on the British squad.
Matt Crampton, Kian Emadi, Lewis Oliva and even Ed Clancy have all tried their hand at the position, but none have managed to fill considerable hole left by Hoy.
More from the Olympics
Chris Boardman: Great Britain's rivals must be thinking 'oh no'
Phil Hindes: They had to put a bigger gear on me to slow me down
Great Britain women's team pursuiters set new world record in Rio Olympics qualifying
The man himself was cheering from the BBC commentary tribune and has predicted that if the team won tonight, Jason Kenny would go on to win three gold medals in Rio. If he does, that would put him on six golds and one silver, a tally equal to Hoy’s and with at least one more Games in him, more likely another two.
In the bronze medal final the French narrowly beat the Australians, over-turning a tiny deficit in the final half a lap.
The French have won a medal in every running of the team sprint at the Games, although it hasn’t been gold since that first edition in Sydney, 2000. On that day the Australians took bronze, a result they haven’t better, or equalled, ever since.
Result
Rio 2016 Olympic Games, men's team sprint finals
1. Great Britain 42.440 [Olympic record]
2. New Zealand 42.542
3. France 43.143
4. Australia 43.298
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.
-
-
Your Apple Watch is about to become a truly viable cycling smartwatch
The US tech giant is boasting connectivity to peripherals such as power meters in its new Watch OS 10
By Joe Baker • Published
-
You could own a Giro edition EF Education-EasyPost Pro Cycling team bike
Bicycle manufacturer Cannondale has partnered with the Los Angeles Bike Academy to raffle off Jonathan Caicedo's race bike from the 2021 Giro d'Italia.
By Henry Lord • Published
-
'Just don't wreck yourself' - Fred Wright on his GB track gamble and the Olympics
The Bahrain Victorious rider is set to compete at the European Track Championships next week
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Inside the secret race at the Track Champions League
Cycling Weekly lifts the lid on the private points contests ridden out of the spotlight
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
'Chris Hoy said the British coaches may be kicking themselves’ - Britain’s lost track cycling champion
British-born Australian Matthew Richardson has fast become one of the world's best track sprinters
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Katie Archibald gets back to winning ways at Track Champions League
The defending endurance champion is up to second after the competition's second round
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Five Dutch sprinters squeezed in a van: Life behind the glamour of the Track Champions League
Now in its second year, the competition takes riders back to their early racing days
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Mark Stewart takes the men’s Endurance classification lead in the Track Champions League
Scotsman Stewart wins the Scratch and places third in the Elimination as Katie Archibald takes women’s Scratch victory
By Owen Rogers • Last updated
-
'This is the essence of track racing' - Chris Hoy on season two of the Track Champions League
Six-time Olympic gold medallist says he wishes he had something like this during his record-breaking track career
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Ethan Hayter bags second gold for GB on Track World Championships day four
The Brit brought his country's medal tally to seven as he retained his omnium title
By Tom Davidson • Last updated