Scot Callum Skinner storms home as Brits grab cycling gold

Scotlands Callum Skinner took the responsibility for the final lap in the Olympic mens team sprint final as Britain delivered gold in Rio last night.

Racing with Phil Hindes and Jason Kenny, Skinner, who started his track cycling career at the Meadowbank velodrome, took the last lap against New Zealand and held off the Kiwis by 0.102 seconds in an average speed of 39.531mph.

The winning time for the  triumphant Brits was an impressive 42.440 secs.

France defeated Australia to claim bronze in the clash of the two defeated semi-finalists.

The GB men’s team sprint squad have a habit of peaking every four years and did so again in qualifying.

Britain have not won a world title in the three-man, three-lap event since 2005, but won gold at the last two Olympics.

They came from nowhere to triumph four years ago in London as Sir Chris Hoy claimed the fifth of his six Olympic golds. And Hindes, Kenny – champions with Hoy four years ago – and Skinner finally got it together, qualifying in  an Olympic record of 42.562 seconds.

World champions New Zealand were second in 42.673secs and Australia third in 43.158.

Kenny is now a four-time Olympic champion and has won the team sprint at the last two Olympics. He is in three events here and his individual sprint title defence begins today.

The issue between Beijing and London was replacing specialist starter Jamie Staff. They did so just in time as Hindes emerged.

Hoy’s retirement created a void which Kian Emadi and Matt Crampton tried to fill.

Skinner was the man Britain’s coaches stuck with, seeing potential in the Scot.

But he had struggled to keep pace with Hindes and Kenny and Britain were sixth at March’s Track World Championships in London. There was no such issue this time as Skinner kept pace to ensure Britain went faster than they did in winning gold eight years ago and four years ago, with Hoy.

In qualifying for the men’s team pursuit, there were signs of strain from Sir Bradley Wiggins as he began his bid for a fifth Olympic gold and British record eighth in all.

He showed annoyance at being summoned by commissaires measuring the aerodynamic bars of the bikes. The officials measured his height and he made a rude gesture with each hand. Riders over 1m 90cm in height are permitted 85cm aerodynamic bars, 5cm longer than smaller riders. Wiggins is 6ft 3ins or 1m 90.5cm. He was not the only British rider to have their measurements taken but the issues had no effect as the quartet produced a storming ride to qualify for a semi-final clash with New Zealand.

Denmark and Australia will face off for the other place in the gold-medal race.

Great Britain’s women clocked a world record in qualifying fastest in the team  pursuit.

Joanna Rowsell Shand, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and  Scotland’s Katie Archibald set a world record in the four- rider, four-kilometres team pursuit.

The quartet finished in four minutes 13.260 seconds to qualify for Saturday’s first round, which is effectively a semi-final.

Britain were due to meet Canada and had only to beat them to advance to the final. Canada qualified in 4mins 19.599secs, more than six seconds behind Britain. The United States were going up against Australia in the second semi-final after qualifying in 4:14.286.

Australia, who set the world record in Paris in February 2015 but crashed in training earlier this week, finished in 4:19.059.