Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Everything you need to know about Laura Kenny

The rider has more gold medals in the Olympics than any other female British athlete

Laura Kenny at the Team GB track cycling presentation for Tokyo 2020
Laura Kenny at the Team GB track cycling presentation for Tokyo 2020
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Laura Kenny CBE is a British track cyclist who specialises in the omnium, madison, scratch and team pursuit - here is everything you need to know as she competes in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Laura Kenny, 29 (born April 24, 1992) comes into Olympics the with a chance of overtaking Charlotte Dujardin as the most successful female British athlete, by adding to her tally of four gold medals.

She is a double Olympic champion in the team pursuit and the omnium after taking the gold medals in both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games.

>>> Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games cycling schedule: when to watch the racing

Along with her Olympic success, Kenny has dominated away from the Games with seven world titles, one Commonwealth Games title as well as a record 14 European titles. Not to mention various wins at Revolution meets, World Cups and National Track Championships.

She also took the national road race title in 2014 along with under-23 titles.

Kenny started her cycling career in 2009 where she immediately showed promise by taking junior national titles. She then raced with the senior team at the 2010 European championships with the team pursuit at the age of just 18, winning gold.

She took her first world title a year later with the team pursuit and won more World Championship and World Cup titles in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games, including her first omnium world title.

In her Olympic debut, Kenny took two gold medals in the team pursuit and the omnium. Her dominance alongside her team-mates in the team pursuit continued as they continued to take world, European and national titles.

Her second Olympics, at Rio 2016, saw the British rider defend both gold medals with the team pursuit and the omnium both heading her way again. She also took the scratch race world title along with the team pursuit again.

Formally Laura Trott, she married six-time Olympic gold medalist Jason Kenny on September 24, 2016. She took a break from the sport in 2017 as she gave birth to their son was born in August that year.

Her return in 2018 saw her take the omnium national title but she was not able to be in the team pursuit team for the world or European titles. She did not win any titles in 2019.

Kenny was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her services to cycling as well as a CBE in 2017, with her husband and fellow track cyclist Jason Kenny. 

In the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Laura Kenny will be taking part in the madison, team pursuit and the omnium giving her three chances of adding to her four Olympic gold medals.

Tokyo 2020: Laura Kenny's schedule 

Monday, August 2, 3.30pm - 6.30pm Japan/7.30am - 10.30am UK

Women's Team Pursuit Qualifying

Tuesday, August 3, 3.30pm - 6.10pm Japan/7.30am - 10.10am UK

Women's Team Pursuit first round
Women's Team Pursuit Finals

Friday, August 6, 3.30pm - 5.15pm Japan/7.30am - 9.15am UK

Women's Madison Final

Sunday, August 8, 10am - 1.15pm Japan/2am - 5.15am UK

Women's Omnium Scratch Race 1/4
Women's Omnium Tempo Race 2/4
Women's Omnium Elimination Race 3/4
Women's Omnium Points Race 4/4

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Tim Bonville-Ginn

Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!


I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.


It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.


After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.


When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.


My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.