CYCLING | TEAM PURSUIT
Britain and USA battle as world record exchanges hands
Great Britain reclaimed the women's team pursuit world record just minutes after the United States had beaten their previous mark at the Rio Olympics on Saturday.
Great Britain reclaimed the women's team pursuit world record just minutes after the United States had beaten their previous mark at the Rio Olympics on Saturday.
US quartet Sarah Hammer, Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert and Jennifer Valente won their semi-final at the Olympic velodrome in a time of 4 min. 12.282 sec to beat the 4:13.260 mark Team GB posted two days ago in Thursday's qualifying. Just minutes later, reigning champions Britain went faster still as Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell-Shand clocked 4:12.152.
British head coach Iain Dyer wasn't getting carried away by the times being set, though. “I think it's really important to consider the conditions within which world records are being set here at the minute and that's by catching the semi-final opponent and getting a bit of a tow. You talk about world records and all that sort of stuff but frankly I'm not worried about that right now”, he said. “The only thing that's on my mind right now is the final this evening because that's the team that's going to be walking away with the gold medal”.
It sets up a thrilling track final later on Friday between the world and Olympic champions where the world record will be threatened again. “The America team always go out very hard, they went out hard in that one. That's their style”, added Dyer. “We've got to do our thing, that's the most important thing for us. Execute the ride in the way we know we can do it. The worst thing to do is get carried away in the moment or leave your strategy behind and not execute what you came here to do”.