Great Britain’s women’s team pursuit squad once again smashed the world record and took gold in Mexico, shaving three seconds off their Manchester record.
Katie Archibald, in her world cup debut in the squad, replaced Laura Trott and together with Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Elinor Barker, broke the world record twice on the way to their second successive gold medal of the 2013/14 world cup campaign.
Qualifying saw Great Britain post a 4:19.115, half a second faster than the record set in Manchester a month ago, the thin air of the high-altitude Mexican venue no doubt contributing to the effort. With Canada qualifying second in 4:19.629, a gripping final looked to be on the cards.
However the British quartet went on to stun the opposition with a 4:16.552 in the final, smashing their own record once again, Canada unable to back up their qualifying effort, stopped the clock at 4:23.172 and took a distant silver medal. Australia took bronze against the USA.
Owain Doull, Steve Burke, Jon Dibben and Sam Harrison was the squad of choice for the men’s team pursuit, with Ed Clancy making way for Dibben, giving the young Southampton rider valuable competition experience.
Great Britain placed third fastest in qualifying in a time of 3:57.385, behind Australia and Denmark. Finishing with three men after Harrison pulled out, Great Britain were set to face New Zealand in the final.
With an unchanged line-up from qualifying, Great Britain went on to take bronze, comfortably catching New Zealand and going on to post a time of 3:59.009, while gold went to Australia with a time of 3:55.841, four seconds shy of Great Britain’s world record set in London 2012.
World records tumbled in the men’s team sprint, with Great Britain’s Kian Emadi, Philip Hindes and Jason Kenny delivering a 42.339 in qualifying, beating their own world record set in London 2012; Hindes’ 17.240 opening lap setting Great Britain up for a competitive time.
However, the world record didn’t stay in British hands for long. Rene Enders of Germany clocked a blistering 16.984 on his starting lap, the German team going on to break the world record with a 41.871, setting up a Germany v Great Britain final.
For the final, Emadi made way for Matt Crampton, Great Britain facing an unchanged German line-up. In the end Great Britain just couldn’t get on terms with Germany, posting 43.325 and taking silver, while Enders, Forstemann and Eilers stopped the clock at 42.117 to take a second consecutive world cup win.
It was silver too for Great Britain’s Becky James and Jess Varnish in the women’s team sprint. Pitted against Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte of Germany in the final qualification heat, both teams went inside China’s world record set in London 2012 but it was Germany who qualified fastest with a world-record breaking 32.153, Great Britain trailing with a 32.400 to set up a repeat performance in the final.
It was unlikely that a deficit of three-tenths would be overcome in the final and so it proved, with Vogel and Welte joining their male counterparts and taking their second successive gold of the 2013/14 world cup campaign. James and Varnish stopped the clock at 32.602 taking silver, with bronze going to Russia, narrowly beating China.
With Jon Dibben fulfilling team pursuit duties it was Ed Clancy who contested the omnium and after the first three rounds lay in 11th position. Clancy won the opening flying lap but 13th and 16th places in the points and elimination races left him trailing midway leader Luke Davison of Australia by 14 points.
And with Katie Archibald taking her place in the team pursuit squad, Laura Trott contested the points race, finishing 11th. Trott picked up points in three of the eight sprints but it was Stephanie Pohl of who made it three gold medals for Germany on day one. Pohl didn’t figure in any of the sprints but took the win ahead of Glaesser of Australia due to a solo lap gain.
Great Britain continues its campaign on day two with the women’s individual pursuit, men’s sprint, men’s omnium, women’s omnium, men’s scratch and women’s keirin events.
Results
Men's team pursuit qualification
Men's team pursuit finals
Women's team pursuit qualification
Women's team pursuit finals
Men's team sprint qualification
Men's team sprint finals
Women's team sprint qualification
Women's team sprint finals
Women's 20km points race final
Men's omnium I - flying lap
Men's omnium II - points race
Men's omnium III - elimination race
