Britain’s women’s team pursuit quartet set a new world record to qualify fastest with a 4.13.260 minute ride at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Thursday.
The ride put them ahead of world champions USA with a one-second buffer, while the Australians - who suffered a serious crash in training just days ago - were in third almost six seconds slower.
The British quartet of Elinor Barker, Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell-Shand and Katie Archibald rode a technically clean four kilometres while the Americans, who are likely to be their main rivals for the title, looked fast but ragged.
>>> Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Latest news, reports and info
World champions USA will be closer to the Brits in tomorrow’s rounds if they can clean up their changes and perhaps start a little slower. They were almost 1.5 seconds up on the Brits after less than a kilometre, but their speed dropped off rapidly when they lost a rider in the final kilometre.
The world record, set in not particularly fast conditions on a brand new track, came just minutes after the British team sprint trio set an Olympic record to qualify fastest in their event.
A 4.13 minute ride is three seconds faster than Great Britain’s best, set in London in March.
Round one and then the medal finals will take place on Friday.
All you need to know about the team pursuit
Women's team pursuit qualifying result
1. Great Britain 4-13.260 [World record, Olympic record]
2. USA 4-14.286
3. Australia 4-19.059
4. Canada 4-19.599
5. New Zealand 4-20.061
6. China 4-25.246
7. Italy 4-25.543
8. Poland 4-28.988
9. Germany 4-30.068 [did not qualify]
Thank you for reading 20 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
-
-
‘A gateway of just how far their dreams and a bike can take them’ - Los Angeles’ first-ever pump track is now open
Los Angeles’ first-ever pump track opened to the public on Friday, September 22, after two years of construction.
-
UK cycle tech falls by a third, with bikes sales also struggling, says industry report
The cycle industry continues to face challenges, with tech in freefall and even ebikes lagging behind the rest of Europe
-
Great Britain claim first women's team pursuit gold in nine years at World Championships
British quartet win by over four seconds in final, as Danes take back crown in men's event
-
Katie Archibald, Zoe Bäckstedt and Pfeiffer Georgi on start list for British National Road Championships
Dame Sarah Storey, Anna Henderson and defending champion Alice Towers to also compete in Redcar this month
-
'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
-
Inside the secret race at the Track Champions League
Cycling Weekly lifts the lid on the private points contests ridden out of the spotlight
-
'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
-
Katie Archibald left 'disappointed' after Track Champions League round four
The 28-year-old trails by eight points ahead of the competition’s final round
-
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
-
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
