Great Britain win Olympic gold, set world record in women's team pursuit

Great Britain wind Olympic gold, set new world record in women's team pursuit

There were huge roars from the crowds as Great Britain's Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and Joanna Roswell-Shand won the gold medal in the women's team pursuit to close out day 3 of track racing at the Olympic Games. The team also broke their own world record for the third time this week with a time of 4:10.236.

The USA went out strong to lead the race in the early phase with Sarah Hammer on the front pulling along Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert and Jennifer Valente. Great Britain took the lead for the first time gaining over a second ahead of the US team at the halfway point. The US lost a rider in the closing laps as Catlin fell off the back. Great Britain picked up another second and even though they lost a rider with a lap to go, they continued strong through the final lap to break their own world record and win the gold medal.

Canada faced New Zealand for the bronze-medal round and went out strong with an early lead. The Canadians with Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kristi Lay and Georgia Simmerling kept their train tight and put pressure on the New Zealand team of Lauren Ellis, Raquel Sheath, Rushlee Buchanan and Jaime Nielsen, as their fourth rider began to fall off the back. Canada also lost a rider in the closing laps but went into the final lap with over two seconds of an advantage, and went on to secure the bronze medal for a second consecutive Olympic Games.

Italy and Australia lined up to contest the race for fifth and sixth. Australia with Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson, Amy Cure and Melissa Hoskins, who had crashed earlier in the week, were hoping to finish in that fifth place and they started out much faster than the Italian team of Simona Frapporti, Tatiana Guderzo, Francesca Pattaro and Siliva Valsecchi. Both teams lost one rider early on, but Italy lost their third rider with two laps to go and Australia's Baker, Edmondson and Cure went on to secure fifth place.

China raced a formality in the round for 7th place, given that Poland had been relegated and then disqualified after the first round.

Great Britain continued their dominance in the women's team pursuit, from the previous day's qualifiers, during the morning session's first round heats, setting a world record of 4:12.152, before breaking it again in the gold-medal round. The quartet beat the Canadian team to advance to the gold-medal round against the USA. The US team won their heat against Australia's injured team.

The morning session set the stage for an exciting finale between Great Britain and the USA for the gold medal.

Dutchwoman Ligtlee wins gold medal in women's keirin

Elis Ligtlee took a surprise gold medal for the Netherlands in the women's keirin. The Dutch rider sprinted to the victory ahead of Great Britain's Rebecca James in silver, while Anna Meares of Australia took the bronze. World champion from Germany Kristina Vogel was forced to settle for sixth place.

Vogel rode the fastest time in the women's keirin first round with 11.209 during the morning session. She won the round ahead of Meares and both advanced to the second round along with six other riders; Rebecca James (Great Britain), Hyejin Lee (Korea), Wai Sze Lee (Hong Kong), Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands), Tianshi Zhong (China) and Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania), who advanced from the remaining heats.

Laurine Van Riessen (Netherlands) took to the trackside advertising hoardings in her heat 2 to avoid a high-speed crash that ended several riders’ chances but ended without serious injury. Lee won that heat.

Four other riders advanced through the first round repachages including Van Riessen, Martha Bayona Pineda (Colombia), Liubov Basova (Ukraine) and Anastasiia Voinova (Russia).

Vogel and Meares kept their keirin success going during the second rounds of the discipline in the afternoon session on the track in Rio. Vogels won her second-round heat while Meares took top honours in hers, and both will advance to the the finals 1-6. Also progressing are Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands), Anastasiia Voinova (Russia), Liubov Basova (Ukraine) and Rebecca James (Great Britain). But it was Ligtlee who ended up going on to win the gold medal, leaving James with silver, Meares bronze, while Vogel was last in the final round.

Great Britain's Kenny and Skinner to race gold-medal round 

Great Britain's sprinters Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner will face each other in the gold-medal round of the men's sprints on Sunday. Each won their respective heats in the semifinals and advanced through to the gold-medal round. The losers of each of those semifinal rounds; Dennis Dmitriev (Russia) and Matthew Glaetzer (New Zealand) will race against each other for the bronze medal.

Kenny and Skinner won their respective heats during the men's sprint quarterfinals in the afternoon session of day 3 at the track in Rio. The duo raced in heats 1 and 2, respectively, where they won and advanced to the semifinals, while Dmitriev and Glaetzer also advanced through to the semifinals.

Kenny and Skinner kicked off the men's sprints with strong performances in the morning's 1/8 final heats. Kenny won his heat against Colombia's Fabian Puerta Zapata with a time of 10.369, while Skinner won his heat against New Zealand's Patrick Constable with a time of 10.359.

The fastest sprint of the morning session, however, came from Dmitriev, who won his heat in 10.102, while France's Gregory Bauge won his heat in 10.103, making them the favourites for the next rounds but Dmitriev beat Bauge in the quarterfinals.

Olympic track racing will continue with day 4 on Sunday.

Full Results

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Women's Keirin - Heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Kristina Vogel (Germany)
2Anna Meares (Australia)
3Martha Bayona Pineda (Colombia)
4Anaststasila Voinova (Russia)
5Jinjie Gong (China)
6Monique Sullivan (Canada)
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Women's Keirin - Heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Wai Sze Lee (Hong Kong
2Tianshi Zhong (China)
3Daria Shmeleva (Russia)
4Laurine Van Reissen (Netherlands)
DNFTania Calvo Barnero (Spain)
DNFVirginie Cueff (France)
DNFOlivia Podmore
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Women's Keirin - Heat 3
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Rebecca James (Great Britain)
2Hyejin Lee (Korea)
3Natasha Hansen (New Zealand)
4Helena Casas Roige (Spain)
5Stephanie Morton (Australia)
6Kate O'Brien (Canada)
7Miriam Welte (Germany)
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Women's Keirinn - Heat 4
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands)
2Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
3Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez (Cuba)
4Olga Ismayilova (Azerbaijan)
5Shannon McCurley (Ireland)
6Sandie Clair (France)
7Liubov Basova (Ukraine)
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Women's Keirin - First Round Repechages, Heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Martha Bayona Pineda (Colombia)
2Stephanie Morton (Australia)
3Virginiie Cueff (France)
4Olga Ismayilova (Russia)
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Women's Keirin - First Round Repechages, Heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Liubov Basova (Ukraine)
2Daria Shmeleva (Russia)
3Helena Casas Roige (Spain)
4Tania Calvo Barbero (Spain)
5Monique Sullivan (Canada)
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Women's Keirin - First Round Repechages, Heat 3
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Laurine Van Riessen (Netherlands)
2Natasha Hansen (New Zealand)
3Jinje Gong (China)
4Sandie Clair (France)
5Miriam Welte (Germany)
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Women's Keirin - First Round Repechages, Heat 4
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Anastasiia Voinova (Russia)
2Kate O'Brien (Canada)
3Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez (Cuba)
4Dhannon McCurley (Ireland)
5Olivia Podmore (New Zealand)
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Women's Keirin - Second round, Heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Kristina Vogel (Germany)
2Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands)
3Anastasiia Voinov (Russia)
4Hyejin Lee (Korea)
RELTianshi Zhong (China)
DNFMartha Bayona Pineda (Colombia
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Women's Keirin - Second round, Heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Anna Meares (Australia)
2Rebecca James (Great Britain)
3Liubov Basova (Ukraine)
4Laurine Van Riessen (Netherlands)
5Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
DNFWai Sze Lee (Hong Kong)
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Women's Keirin 7th-12th final
#Rider Name (Country) Team
7Wai Sze Lee (Hong Kong)
8Hyejin Lee (Korea)
9Laurine Van Riessen (Netherlands)
10Martha Boyona Pineda (Colombia)
11Tianshi Zhong (China)
12Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
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Women's Keirin 1-6th final
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands)
2Rebecca James (Great Britain)
3Anna Meares (Australia)
4Anastasiia Voinova (Russia)
5Liubov Basova (Ukraine)
6Kristina Vogel (Germany)
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals, Heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Jason Kenny (Great Britain)
2Fabian Puerta Zapata (Colombia)
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals, Heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Callum Skinner (Great Britain)
2Patrick Constable (Australia)
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals, Heat 3
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Matthew Glaetzer (Australia)
2Max Levy (Germany)
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals, Heat 4
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Denis Dmitriev (Russia)
2Sam Webster (New Zealand)
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals, Heat 5
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Gregory Bauge (France)
2Jeffrey Hofland (Netherlands)
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals, Heat 6
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Joachim Eilers (Germany)
2Chao Xu (China)
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals Repechages, Heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Chao Xu (China)
2Sam Webster (New Zealand)
3Fabian Puerta Zapata (Colombia
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Men's Sprint - 1/8 finals Repechages, Heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Patrick Constable (Australia)
2Max Levy (Germany)
3Jeffrey Hoogland (Netherlands)
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Men's Sprint - Quarterfinals, Heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Jason Kenny (Great Britain)
2Patrick Constable (New Zealand)
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Men's Sprint - Quarterfinals, Heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Callum Skinner (Great Britain)
2Chao Xu (China
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Men's Sprint - Quarterfinals, Heat 3
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Matthew Glaetzer (Australia)
2Joachim Eilers (Germany)
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Men's Sprint - Quarterfinals, Heat 4
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Denis Dmitriev (Russia)
2Gregory Bauge (France)
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Men's Sprint - 9th-12th finals
#Rider Name (Country) Team
9Max Levy (Germany)
10Fabian Puerta Zapata (Colombia)
11Jeffrey Hoogland (Netherlands)
12Sam Webster (New Zealand)
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Men's Sprint 5th - 8th final
#Rider Name (Country) Team
5Joachim Eilers (Germany)
6Chao XU (China)
7Gregory Bauge (France)
8Patrick Constable (Australia)
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Men's Sprint - Semifinals, heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Jason Kenny (Great Britain)
2Dennis Dmitriev (Russia)
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Men's Sprint - Semifinals, heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Callum Skinner (Great Britain)
2Matthew Glaetzer (New Zealand)
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Women's Team Pursuit - First Round, Heat 1
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
2Italy0:04:22.964
Row 1 - Cell 0 Simona FrapportiRow 1 - Cell 2
Row 2 - Cell 0 Tatiana GuderzoRow 2 - Cell 2
Row 3 - Cell 0 Francesca PattaroRow 3 - Cell 2
Row 4 - Cell 0 Siliva ValsecchiRow 4 - Cell 2
1China0:04:23.678
Row 6 - Cell 0 Dongyan HuangRow 6 - Cell 2
Row 7 - Cell 0 Yali JingRow 7 - Cell 2
Row 8 - Cell 0 Menglu MaRow 8 - Cell 2
Row 9 - Cell 0 Baofang ZhaoRow 9 - Cell 2
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Women's Team Pursuit - First Round, Heat 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1New Zealand0:04:17.592
Row 1 - Cell 0 Lauren EllisRow 1 - Cell 2
Row 2 - Cell 0 Raquel SheathRow 2 - Cell 2
Row 3 - Cell 0 Rushlee BuchananRow 3 - Cell 2
Row 4 - Cell 0 Jaime NielsenRow 4 - Cell 2
2PolandRow 5 - Cell 2
Row 6 - Cell 0 Daria PikulikRow 6 - Cell 2
Row 7 - Cell 0 Edyta JasinskaRow 7 - Cell 2
Row 8 - Cell 0 Justyna KaczowskaRow 8 - Cell 2
Row 9 - Cell 0 Natalia RutkowskaRow 9 - Cell 2
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Women's Team Pursuit - First Round, Heat 3
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1United States0:04:12.282
Row 1 - Cell 0 Sarah HammerRow 1 - Cell 2
Row 2 - Cell 0 Kelly CatlinRow 2 - Cell 2
Row 3 - Cell 0 Chloe DygertRow 3 - Cell 2
Row 4 - Cell 0 Jennifer ValenteRow 4 - Cell 2
2Australia0:04:20.262
Row 6 - Cell 0 Georgia BakerRow 6 - Cell 2
Row 7 - Cell 0 Annette EdmondsonRow 7 - Cell 2
Row 8 - Cell 0 Amy CureRow 8 - Cell 2
Row 9 - Cell 0 Melissa HoskinsRow 9 - Cell 2
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Women's Team Pursuit - First Round, Heat 4
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Great Britain0:04:12.152
Row 1 - Cell 0 Katie ArchibaldRow 1 - Cell 2
Row 2 - Cell 0 Laura TrottRow 2 - Cell 2
Row 3 - Cell 0 Elinor BarkerRow 3 - Cell 2
Row 4 - Cell 0 Joanna Roswell-ShandRow 4 - Cell 2
2Canada0:04:15.636
Row 6 - Cell 0 Allison BeveridgeRow 6 - Cell 2
Row 7 - Cell 0 Jasmin GlaesserRow 7 - Cell 2
Row 8 - Cell 0 Kristi LayRow 8 - Cell 2
Row 9 - Cell 0 Georgia SimmerlingRow 9 - Cell 2
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Women's Team Pursuit 7th-8th final
#Rider Name (Country) Team
7China
Row 1 - Cell 0 Dongyan Huang
Row 2 - Cell 0 Yali Jing
Row 3 - Cell 0 Menglu Ma
Row 4 - Cell 0 Baofang
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Women's Team Pursuit 5-6 final
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
5Australia0:04:21.232
Row 1 - Cell 0 Georgia BakerRow 1 - Cell 2
Row 2 - Cell 0 Annette EdmondsonRow 2 - Cell 2
Row 3 - Cell 0 Amy CureRow 3 - Cell 2
Row 4 - Cell 0 Melissa HoskinsRow 4 - Cell 2
6Italy0:04:28.368
Row 6 - Cell 0 Simona FrapportiRow 6 - Cell 2
Row 7 - Cell 0 Tatiana GuderzoRow 7 - Cell 2
Row 8 - Cell 0 Francesca PattaroRow 8 - Cell 2
Row 9 - Cell 0 Siliva ValsecchiRow 9 - Cell 2
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Women's Team Pursuit for bronze
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
3Canada0:04:14.627
Row 1 - Cell 0 Allison BeveridgeRow 1 - Cell 2
Row 2 - Cell 0 Jasmin GlaesserRow 2 - Cell 2
Row 3 - Cell 0 Kristi LayRow 3 - Cell 2
Row 4 - Cell 0 Georgia SimmerlingRow 4 - Cell 2
4New Zealand0:04:18.459
Row 6 - Cell 0 Lauren EllisRow 6 - Cell 2
Row 7 - Cell 0 Raquel SheathRow 7 - Cell 2
Row 8 - Cell 0 Rushlee BuchananRow 8 - Cell 2
Row 9 - Cell 0 Jaime NielsenRow 9 - Cell 2
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Women's Team Pursuit for gold
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Great Britain0:04:10.236
Row 1 - Cell 0 Katie ArchibaldRow 1 - Cell 2
Row 2 - Cell 0 Laura TrottRow 2 - Cell 2
Row 3 - Cell 0 Elinor BarkerRow 3 - Cell 2
Row 4 - Cell 0 Joanna Roswell-ShandRow 4 - Cell 2
2United States0:04:12.454
Row 6 - Cell 0 Sarah HammerRow 6 - Cell 2
Row 7 - Cell 0 Kelly CatlinRow 7 - Cell 2
Row 8 - Cell 0 Chloe DygertRow 8 - Cell 2
Row 9 - Cell 0 Jennifer ValenteRow 9 - Cell 2

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Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.

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