Great Britain set new Olympic record to qualify fastest in team sprint

Jason Kenny, Callum Skinner and Philip Hindes gets Great Britain off to a perfect start in the team sprint qualifiers at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Great Britain qualify fastest in the men's team sprint, Rio 2016 Olympic Games

(Image credit: Graham Watson)
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The Great Britain trio of Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner set a new Olympic record on Thursday to qualify fastest in the men's team sprint and get the track competition off to the best possible start for the British squad.

They produced a technically perfect ride to finish 0.111 of a second ahead of reigning world champions New Zealand and over half a second faster than the Australians in third.

Great Britain qualify fastest in the men's team sprint, Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Great Britain qualify fastest in the men's team sprint, Rio 2016 Olympic Games
(Image credit: Graham Watson)

It was a return to form for the British team that bodes well for the next two rounds later tonight. Their round one match will be against eighth place Venezuela who posted a time 1.7 seconds slower.

Both Philip Hindes and Jason Kenny are reigning champions while Rio is Callum Skinner’s Olympic debut. The next two rounds take place later tonight.

Men's team sprint qualifying

1. Great Britain 42.562 (Olympic record)

2. New Zealand 42.673

3. Australia 43.158

4. France 43.185

5. Poland 43.297

6. Netherlands 43.688

7. Germany 43.711

8. Venezuela 44.263

9. Korea relegated

New Zealand, team sprint, Rio 2016 Olympic Games

New Zealand, team sprint, Rio 2016 Olympic Games
(Image credit: Watson)
Simon Richardson
Simon Richardson
Magazine editor

Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He first fell in love with cycling in 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 the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 134-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015 and can still be seen riding bikes around the lanes of Surrey, Sussex and Kent. Albeit a bit slower than before.