Tokyo 2020 - Laura Kenny’s record-breaking fifth gold alongside Katie Archibald in madison is ‘definition of greatness’

ByTom Bennett

Updated 06/08/2021 at 12:44 GMT

"They were always on the offensive which kept them out of trouble, scoring points consistently throughout, and they’ve won the gold medal. Absolute definition of greatness that was in a Madison from them two,” said Bradley Wiggins after Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald won madison gold. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

Laura Kenny secured her fifth Olympic gold medal and sixth medal in total with an extraordinarily dominant performance alongside Katie Archibald in the women’s madison at the Tokyo Olympics.

The British pair racked up 78 points in the event, more than double that of Denmark in silver medal position.

And eight-time Olympic medallist Bradley Wiggins told Eurosport that the display from the Team GB riders was the “absolute definition of greatness” in the event.

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“Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald, what an absolutely dominant display,” Wiggins said.

“The only danger in the latter stages was whether they were going to be in a crash through no fault of their own, but other teams, because it was that chaotic behind," the Eurosport track-side reporter added.

'It means so much to both of them!' - GB's Archibald and Kenny receive madison gold medals

"There were lots of teams crashing, but they managed to stay upright and were always on the front foot.

“And they were always on the offensive which kept them out of trouble, scoring points consistently throughout, and they’ve won the gold medal.

“Absolute definition of greatness that was in a madison from them two.”

Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald celebrate

Image credit: Getty Images

And, reacting immediately after the race on Eurosport commentary, two-time Olympic champion Jo Rowsell explained how Kenny and Archibald took complete control of the event.

"They were in charge, it’s a brilliant pairing,” she said.

“Both are fast in the sprints, so it was never a case of having the wrong rider in the race when it came around for the sprint laps, both are very fast.

“And both are also very attentive, staying towards the front of the group all the time, not getting in the way of any of those crashes, riding technically very well. They’ve clearly spent a lot of time working on the madison behind the scenes.

'I've never felt so in control of a race' - Emotional Kenny and Archibald on madison gold

But Great Britain just dominant from start to finish, never ever looked in trouble, never looked in the wrong place, just absolutely bossed it.

“It’s a new Olympic event for women here, it’s been raced at the World Championships four times now, since 2017, and it’s been such a popular event.”

Great Britain have been the dominant force in Olympic track cycling for the past two decades, winning 12 medals and six golds in Rio, 12 medals and eight golds in London, 14 medals with eight golds in Beijing.

But Kenny and Archibald’s gold is a rare sight of that old dominance, with the pair's win and Jack Carlin's sprint bronze on Friday making it five Team GB medals on the track so far in Tokyo.

However, cycling royalty Mark Cavendish told Eurosport that it is more a case of the rest of the world catching up than British Cycling underperforming.

'Fabulous!' - GB's Kenny and Archibald 'strike gold' with madison triumph

"GB aren’t in decline, the rest of the world is stepping up," Cavendish told Reshmin Chowdhury in the Eurosport Cube.

"Great Britain were always the pioneers in new technologies and advancements to make the sport quicker. But as you advance the amount of things you can do get smaller, you can’t get the big gains you used to.

The rest of the world are coming up. The speed that all of these nations are going at, it blows your mind.

"The women’s (team pursuit) world record now, in Athens that’s what the men were doing. That’s crazy. You’re talking 23-30% quicker times, it’s a different sport now."

Team GB's Track Cycling medals at Tokyo 2020

• Gold - Women's madison - Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald
• Gold - Men's omnium - Matt Walls
• Silver - Women's Team pursuit - Katie Archibald, Laura Kenny, Neah Evans, Elinor Barker, Josie Knight
• Silver - Men's Team sprint - Ryan Owens, Jack Carlin, Jason Kenny
• Bronze - Men's individual sprint - Jack Carlin

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Watch every unmissable moment live from Tokyo 2020 across Eurosport, Eurosport app and discovery+. Download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now.

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