Great Britain win gold, break world record again in men's team pursuit
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Updated 12/08/2016 at 23:38 GMT
Great Britain won gold in the men’s team pursuit - and broke the world record again in the process - to hand Sir Bradley Wiggins his fifth Olympic title.
Gold medallists Britain's Owain Doull, Britain's Edward Clancy, Britain's Steven Burke and Britain's Bradley Wiggins pose on the podium after the men's Team Pursuit finals track cycling event at the Velodrome during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Ja
Image credit: AFP
Owain Doull, Steven Burke and Ed Clancy joined the 36-year-old to beat the Australia team of Sam Welsford, Michael Hepburn, Alexander Edmondson, and Jack Bobridge in a time of 3:50.265.
The British four got off to a solid start but were behind Australia in the opening laps of the 4km race. However, their opponents soon dropped down to three men and handed over the advantage, allowing them to clinch the title on a tense final lap.
It means Wiggins adds the 2016 title to four other golds from individual pursuits in 2004 and 2008, team pursuit from 2008 and the time-trial title from 2012. It makes him Britain's most decorated Olympian, with eight medals in total.
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Britain's Edward Clancy, Steven Burke, Owain Doull and Bradley Wiggins compete in the men's Team Pursuit qualifying track cycling event at the Velodrome during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 11, 2016.
Image credit: AFP
It comes after the British team beat the world record on the way to the final in their showdown with New Zealand, with a time of 3:50.570.
"It's hard not to come off the track and spout a load of cliches but really, the last 12 months we have done everything together," Wiggins told the BBC afterwards.
"Training camps at altitude, early starts and late finishes. Cycling on Christmas Day. It was all for this and we've done it. These three guys here are amazing.
"When you have guys like that it makes your life easier. I was trying not to think about winning but these guys have been bouncing off the ceiling all afternoon. It was fantastic."
Cycling won seven of the 10 track cycling events at London 2012 and already have two here after two days, following the men's team sprint triumph on Thursday when Jason Kenny took his Olympic gold-medal haul to four.
Kenny will be favourite for individual sprint gold on Saturday as will Britain's team pursuit squad who set a new record in qualifying on Thursday.
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