Chris Hoy Is The Hero As Great Britain Wins Team Sprint Gold
by Justin Davis
BEIJING, Aug 15, 2008 (AFP) - Scotland’s Chris Hoy anchored Britain to
victory in the coveted Olympic team sprint final here Friday as track
cycling’s global pacesetters made the perfect start to the Beijing Games.
Hoy, who is aiming for a further two gold medals in the five-day, ten-final
meet, led Britain home in 43.128 seconds after equally stunning rides from
England’s Jamie Staff and team newcomer Jason Kenny.
World champions France, the bronze medalists in Athens, took the silver in
43.551secs with defending champions Germany beating Australia to the bronze.
France have been the world champions in the three-lap power event for the
past three years and Hoy knew Britain would have to produce something special
to take gold.
In a thrilling finale, which saw Kenny’s impressive pace briefly push Hoy
to his limits, their combined efforts simply proved too much for the French.
“To beat the French by half a second made it exciting,” said Hoy. “It took
every inch of effort to beat them as they have been invincible. We had to put
the pieces of the jigsaw together.
“To win a gold medal as part of a team is so special, and quite emotional.”
Staff, Kenny and Hoy proved unstoppable in the initial qualifying round
where they posted the fastest time ever recorded in the event in 42.950.
It left French anchor man Arnaud Tournant very impressed.
“My first reaction was, ‘nothing special’, because I was trying to
concentrate on the next race coming up,” said Tournant, now a friend of Hoy’s
but for many years the Scot’s biggest rival.
“Afterwards, I saw it was a very fast time. But for us it’s no coincidence
that they made the final and then raced so fast.”
Britain were then slower in the first round in 43.034, but still the
fastest, giving France - who clocked 43.656 - another reminder of the
improvements they have made since finishing second behind them at the world
championships.
Hoy admitted France’s dominating ride in Manchester in March had left him
with doubts for Beijing.
“The French have been so dominant. To beat us by such a big margin in
Manchester, I thought it would be difficult (in Beijing),” added the Scot, who
now has two Olympic titles having won the kilometre crown in Athens.
“You can expect to win any races, no matter how good you are. We weren’t
aiming for a 43.2 to win, we just knew we had to go quicker.”
France had chopped and changed their trio of riders, replacing 14-time
world champion Tournant with Mickael Bourgain for the first round, before
putting Tournant back in for the final.
Tournant is competing in his last Olympics and ahead of his final race, in
the men’s keirin on Saturday, he was buoyant.
“It was a big pleasure for us to make the final, and it’s still a pleasure
to win silver.”
But for middle man Kevin Sireau, who will aim for revenge against Hoy in
the individual sprint, the medal was bittersweet.
“It’s my first Olympics and it’s great to get a medal, but it’s not the
right color. It’s a bittersweet feeling I have, but I’ll be giving everything
I’ve got against Hoy in the sprint.”
It may also be the final Olympics for Staff, a former BMX professional
rider who has battled his way to a team sprint starting spot in the past two
years.
Aged 35, he admitted the obvious talents of 20-year-old English compatriot
Kenny left him with a dilemma.
Asked if this was his last chance for a medal, Staff said: “Absolutely,
especially when you see young riders coming up like Jason, who is only 20, and
there’s a few others.
“I’m 35 but I don’t know if I’m thinking about London in 2012. Look at
(2000 kilometre champion) Jason Queally. He’s just put four years of hard work
in and he didn’t get picked for the Games.”
Photo by:CorVos Pro
Categories: Beijing Olympics, Features
Tags:
Leave a Reply