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29th Olympic Games - JO
Beijing, China, August 9-23, 2008
Main Page Results Previous Event Next Event
Event 8 - August 15: Men's Team Sprint Final
Britain motors to gold
By Laura Weislo
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Using high-tech bicycles, special rubberized skinsuits and a new secret weapon in 20-year-old Jason Kenny, the British men's team sprint squad stormed to a gold medal in Friday's final, besting the French by more than half a second. The world champion team of Grégory Baugé, Kévin Sireau and Arnaud Tournant never challenged the Brits, who were fastest at each lap.
Lead man Jamie Staff pulled ahead of France's Baugé, and by the time second man Kenny pulled off to let Scot Chris Hoy finish the race, the Brits already had a four-tenths of a second lead.
Hoy, who won gold in the kilometre in Athens, said that winning as a team was a completely different experience. "As part of a team, you can't let anyone down," he said. "To beat [France] by half a second made it that exciting. Honestly, it took every inch of effort in beating the French who have been invincible.
"We have really put all the pieces of the jigsaw together. We really focused on the details. To stick half a second into them, it's amazing," Hoy said.
Hoy credited his young team-mate Kenny with giving the team the extra measure it needed to get ahead of the world champion French team. "He's young and talented and not fazed by the pressure at all, he's perfect for the team."
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For the 35-year-old Staff, the Beijing Games were his last chance at an Olympic gold, and the achievement of this goal hadn't quite sunken in. "We were very disappointed after Athens," he said. "I gave absolutely everything I could. We have a fantastic team, we showed the whole world our strength. We train a lot and we try to be as meticulous as possible in what we do."
The French team was visibly disappointed after having soundly defeated the British for most of the season. "It's really impressive," said Mickaël Bourgain, who replaced Tournant in the first round but was back on the bench for the final. "Technically, their team sprint is catastrophic. Their start is not consistent. Hoy ends up several metres behind ... and they win anyway. Physically, they are above us."
Earlier in the day, the British had done the unthinkable - they eclipsed the 43 second barrier (42.950 seconds). "We did not think it was possible," said the French coach Florian Rousseau. "It was quickly apparent that they had made much progress since the World Championships in Manchester," added sprint coach Gerard Quintyn.
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While there is no official world record for the team sprint as it is contested over three laps, regardless of the length of the track, the British team's ride was the fastest ever recorded on a 250m velodrome.
In the bronze medal final, the Australian team of Ryan Bayley, Daniel Ellis and Mark French put in a strong challenge against the Germans, and led after Bayle, the two-time gold medallist from Athens, took the first lap against Rene Enders. But the Aussies could not match the pace of Max Levy and Stefan Nimke on the final two laps and finished eight thousandths of a second off the bronze.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by AFP Photo
- The British sprint team with gold
- The French team of Gregory Bauge, Kevin Sireau and Arnaud Tournant were not too happy to have lost.
- Jason Kenny (Great Britain) salutes after his team won the team sprint.
- German Rene Enders was emotional after helping his team to the bronze medal.
- Kevin Sireau pulls Arnaud Tournant in France's battle for the gold.
- The German team takes off for the bronze medal final.
- Good sportsmanship by the Australians as they concede the bronze to Germany.
- The British flag taunts the French team who had dominated all season but took silver in Beijing.
- Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff and Chris Hoy (Great Britain) show their new hardware.
Images by Casey Gibson/www.cbgphoto.com
- The German team pulled off a great ride to take bronze from the Australians.
- The British team gets ready for the final ride.
- Hoy made it up to Kenny's wheel in time to take over for the last lap.
- British fans cheer as Chris Hoy rolls past after winning.
- Hoy put in a stellar final lap to secure the gold medal.
- Staff gives a roar after the British team won the men's team sprint.
- Jamie Staff led so fast that Hoy was bike lengths off of Kenny at the end of lap one.
- The riders listen to the British anthem at the medal ceremony.
Images by Greg Chang/PhotoSport International
- The Olympic rings took a beating at the velodrome.
- The impressive velodrome from the outside.
- It may look like a bunch of rusted metal but it shows the way to the venue.
- A nice blue sunny sky drew the people to the outside rather than spending all day indoors.
- Jamie Staff pulls off after leading the British team with the race's fastest opening lap.
- Chris Hoy took his second Olympic gold this time in the team sprint.
- Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff (Great Britain) were a bit excited about winning the team sprint.
- The French, British and German teams on the medal podium in the Laoshan velodrome.
- France during the starting phase of the team sprint.
- Only the helmets hinted to gold but Germany was happy
- France sprinted to second place and a silver medal.with a bronze medal, too.
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- This incredible mural greets visitors to the velodrome.
- Malaysia starts the qualifying round.
- Germany takes off in the qualifying round.
- Malaysia qualified for Round 1.
- China finished ninth.
- The Russians only managed 12th.
- Shane Kelly rode anchor for Australia.
- Germany qualified third-fastest.
- France had a great ride and got the second fastest qualifying time.
- The Dutch team qualified fourth.
- Japan used its track abilities to qualify sixth.
- The flying Dutchmen.
- France starts round one.
- Team France - Round 1.
- Malaysia was defeated by France in Round 1.
- The British "Machine' was unstoppable.
- The Americans lost to the the Brits in Round 1.
- Germany starts Round 1.
- Germany on way to bronze.
- Bayley anchored the Aussies, but it wasn't enough for a medal.
- Rene Enders celebrates bronze for the German squad.
- Jamie Staff leads out for the Brits.
- Bauge was the lead out rider for the French.
- Kenny actually gapped Hoy in the Final.
- Sireau was the middleman for the French.
- Chris Hoy brings home the gold.
- Arnaud Tournant finishes his final Team Sprint.
- Jason Kenny is the newest and youngest member of the Brit squad.
- Finally, a gold medal for Jamie Staff.
- Hoy looks exhausted.
- Chris Hoy flew away with gold.
- Chris Hoy,Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff from left to right enjoy the moment.
- Waving the flag.
- Podium: France, Great Britain, Germany
Results
Finals 1 Great Britain 43.128 (62.604km/h) Chris Hoy Jason Kenny Jamie Staff 2 France 43.651 Gregory Bauge Kevin Sireau Arnaud Tournant 3 Germany 44.014 Rene Enders Maximilian Levy Stefan Nimke 4 Australia 44.022 Ryan Bayley Daniel Ellis Mark French
