Great Britain’s most successful Olympian, Jason Kenny, will continue to help secure medals for his nation after he retires, swapping the track racing for a coaching role.
British Cycling said that while Kenny is calling an end to the career which has seen him win seven Olympic titles across four Games, he will start a new one as the Podium Men’s Sprint Coach.
Kenny first took the international spotlight in 2006, when he won three gold medals at the 2006 UCI Junior World Track Cycling Championships. He then won his first Olympic gold at Beijing in the team sprint, took the team and individual sprint gold in London and then in Rio also added the Keirin victory to take three gold medals at that Olympics.
His seventh and final gold, which bettered Chris Hoy’s total, came after he let fly in the Keirin at the Tokyo Olympic Games, jumping with four laps to go to take a solo victory.
“To win an Olympic medal of any colour is a magnificent achievement, but it’s almost impossible to comprehend the level of talent, dedication and resilience needed to top the podium seven times across four Olympic Games," British Cycling Performance Director, Stephen Park said.
“It goes without saying that Jason has made a magnificent contribution to our team, and I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to hold on to all of that knowledge and experience as he embarks on his career as a coach. We understand the vital importance of developing great riders to become great coaches, and we look forward to working with Jason as he develops his own style to support the medal ambitions of others over the years ahead.”
Great Britain topped the cycling medal tally at the Tokyo Olympic Games, taking six gold medals in total and a total of 12 medals, with the Netherlands also securing 12 medals, five gold among them.
It was Kenny's gold medal in the Keirin on the final day that helped secure that lead spot as he added to those taken on the track by Matthew Walls in the men's Omnium and that of his partner Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald in the Madison. Great Britain also won gold with Tom Pidcock in men's mountain bike cross-country race, Charlotte Worthington in BMX Freestyle and Beth Shriever in BMX Racing.
Former teammate and six-time Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy said he was excited to hear of Kenny's appointment.
“He was a fantastic team-mate and an extraordinary athlete, and I’m looking forward to seeing him translate his experiences over four Olympic Games into supporting the next generation of talented British riders to achieve their best,” Hoy said.
Scott Pollock had moved to head up the men’s sprint programme last year after Kevin Stewart was fired as Podium Sprint Coach at the end of 2020 for ‘gross misconduct’.
“We would like to place on record our thanks to Scott Pollock, who took up the role of Men’s Sprint Programme Lead in January 2021 for the vital run-in to the Tokyo Games,” said British Cycling.
