Great Britain's success hungry track cyclists top velodrome medal table again

Great Britain's cyclists travelled to the Rio Olympics after months of turmoil, but concluded the track programme in a familiar position at the top of the velodrome medal table.

After seven gold medals from 10 events at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics, Britain dominated the boards once again.

Britain won six golds - including three for Jason Kenny and two for Laura Trott - four silvers and one bronze medal from nine events entered in Rio. Holland were next on the medal table with one gold and one silver.

Sir Bradley Wiggins won his fifth gold and British record eighth in all in the team pursuit and Mark Cavendish claimed the Olympic medal which had proved so elusive with silver in the omnium.

Every one of the 14 riders who competed got a medal. Ciara Horne and reserve Ryan Owens did not race.

It was not qualifying in the 10th event, the women's team sprint, which had destabilised British Cycling and resulted in the resignation of technical Shane Sutton, 100 days out from the Olympics.

Sutton denies allegations of discrimination, first levelled by Jess Varnish after she missed out on an Olympic place, and the culture of British Cycling is subject to an independent review which is scheduled to conclude after next month's Paralympics.

Head coach Iain Dyer pointed to the staffing changes made by Sutton following his April 2014 appointment as successor to Sir Dave Brailsford as key to the continued success.

Britain's rivals have also questioned their performances after peaking for a third straight Olympics, but the reality is the likes of Australia, Germany and France have not delivered in the manner they did in the period between Olympics, nor improved on their performances from March's Track World Championships in London.

Dyer said: "A lot has been said about the culture of this programme this year. I have to say - and I think this week backs it up - that our culture is one of success.

"Someone asked me how many medals we'd won and I didn't really know.

"We knew that we were timing it right for where we were at, we just didn't know what the outcome of that would be in terms of where the rest of the world would be.

"It's proved it was extremely successful. Hopefully it inspires a younger generation to come and we'll see them in the fullness of time."

Kenny and Trott were once that younger generation. Trott emerged as a 20-year-old with two Olympic titles at London 2012. She is now Britain's most successful female with four golds.

Four years earlier it was Kenny who came to the fore, winning the first of his six Olympic gold medals, plus a silver in his only defeat in Olympic competition, behind Sir Chris Hoy.

The 28-year-old now has the same Olympic medal tally as Hoy. He is 12 years his junior, sharing the same March 23 birthday.

Kenny's sixth gold came in the Keirin on Tuesday night - but he might have been disqualified had Dyer not taken a gamble.

It appeared Kenny and Malaysia's Awang Azizulhasni came close to illegally overtaking the motorpacing Derny bike before it had left the track with two-and-a-half laps to go.

The race was stopped. Kenny appeared to be in front of Awang and was contemplating what he would say in event of being disqualified.

Dyer spoke to the race officials during the lengthy delay and discovered they did not have a camera at the point where the Derny leaves the track, so he offered footage gathered by British Cycling's performance analysts, Will Forbes and Dr Debs Sides, from in line with the incident.

Fortunately the officials were prepared to accept the assistance.

"To think someone up there was judging that on the naked eye in the spur of the moment, with millions watching on TV and the atmosphere here, was quite a big call," Dyer said.

"I offered our footage, not really knowing how it looked. It was a big call in hindsight, but we didn't have anything to lose.

"I showed him (the chief official) the video we had and it was way too close to make that kind of call. He thanked me for providing the footage."

The race was restarted, with all six riders, but aborted again, only for British intervention once again.

Germany's Joachim Eilers avoided a penalty and six riders started for a third time. And Kenny won.

Dyer, who was promoted to head coach from sprint coach by Sutton, has worked with Kenny since 2004, when he was a precocious 16-year-old.

Now Kenny, who is to marry Trott next month, is alongside his friend and former training partner Hoy as Britain's most successful Olympian. And he has more Olympics to come.

"He's a quiet guy, but he's surely one of the most talented athletes we've produced in any sport, no question," Dyer said.

The challenge for Britain is to repeat the trick at Tokyo 2020 - and it is already on the agenda.

Dyer said: "What we need to do (is) just come back and be better."