Tokyo 2020 news - Denmark win brilliant gold in thrilling men's Madison as Great Britain take silver

ByEurosport

Updated 07/08/2021 at 12:40 GMT

It has been a successful track cycling campaign for Great Britain at the Izu Velodrome at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the medals kept flowing on Sunday when Ethan Hayter and Matts Walls secured a silver medal in a brilliant men's madison race. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

A thrilling men's Madison on Saturday saw Denmark win gold as Great Britain's continued their medal count in the madison as Ethan Hayter and Matt Walls claimed a silver medal on day fourteen of the Tokyo Olympics.

The race was a tense affair with Denmark and France dominating a lot of the early stages of the 200-lap race before Spain started to make their move in the final 40 laps.

With around 22 laps to go, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain went for a lap and the former broke away to try it solo. Denmark and Britain started to show signs of panic as the Belgians threatened but they ran out of track and couldn't do enough to get into the medal position.

Tokyo 2020

‘Absolutely remarkable’ – Jason Kenny storms to historic keirin gold

00:00:51

|

24/02/2022 at 08:59

GB were almost forced to settle for bronze, as they fell onto the back-foot against impressive power of Denmark's Michael Morkov and Lasse Norman Hansen until Hayter and Walls made a thrilling final sprint to steal silver from the French.

Hayter said in a post-race interview: “It was really good, a great achievement. We were hoping to win, but I was the one who was struggling in the middle and had to back off a little when the race was kicking off. We did well to stay in the race.

“We got a good period of recovery and when you follow good wheels in the Madison you sit in the back and recover and they close the gaps for you. if we had a bit more we had have gone earlier and won the race." Walls added: “It has been an incredible week. We are happy to come away with the silver."

'GB could've won the thing!' - Wiggins believes Brits 'had the legs on Denmark' in madison

After 80 laps Team GB led by one point, with 15, over Denmark and France and Walls lunged early into the ninth sprint at 90 laps to gain a four-point advantage as Denmark failed to score.

However, by the half-way mark at 100 laps, Denmark pulled it back to move one point behind Team GB with 19 points.

Denmark continued their run of points as France raced back to keep up with the Danes as GB dropped back and were issued a warning for being involved in a crash which saw a German rider hit the deck, and dropped to third, two points behind Denmark and France.

France, desperate for a gold medal, made an all or nothing attack with three points clear of Denmark with 60 laps to go, and GB were too far back to regain enough points for gold as Denmark raced 11 points clear.

With around 30 laps to go Belgium and Netherlands began to bridge the points gap, but Team GB and France sprinted to extend the gap and collect silver and bronze medals.

'Absolutely fabulous!' - GB celebrate storming to silver in men's madison

Two American riders crashed out after a mistake on the changeover.

On Thursday, Walls comfortably beat Campbell Stewart of New Zealand and Italy's Elia Viviani to win gold in the men's omnium.

Britain's Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald won the women's event on Friday with Kenny becoming Britain's most decorated Olympian with six Olympic medals, four of them gold.

Track cycling continues on Sunday with Britain's Jason Kenny and Jack Carlin competing in the keirin for the final day of the Tokyo Olympics.

- -

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

Tokyo 2020

British cyclist Barker reveals she won Tokyo silver while pregnant

06/10/2021 at 07:53

Tokyo 2020

Hayward: Jason Kenny - From the kid no-one knew to the greatest Brit to ever do it

08/08/2021 at 11:25

Tokyo 2020

‘Oh my goodness!’ – Laura Kenny excels in points race but Valente seals omnium gold

00:00:50

|

08/08/2021 at 07:04