BEIJING, Aug 15, 2008 (AFP) – Defending champion Bradley Wiggins set a new
Olympic record of four minutes 15.031 seconds in winning his qualifying heat
for the men’s individual pursuit cycling at the Laoshan Velodrome on Friday.

Wiggins brushed aside concerns over a recent virus by hammering over 16
laps of the 250km track to pip his old record of 4:15.165, still a few seconds
short of fellow Briton Chris Boardman’s world record of 4:11.114.

New Zealand’s Hayden Roulston signalled his gold medal intentions by
winning his heat in a time of 4:18.990 to finish second fastest while Russian
Alexei Markov won his heat to finish third fastest in 4:21.530.

Ukrainian Volodymyr Dyuda finished fourth.

One of the biggest shocks of the session was the failure of either of
Australia’s two pursuit riders, Brad McGee and Brett Lancaster, to qualify
among the fastest eight.

The eight-man first round, from which the four fastest riders qualify for
the medal rounds, is held on Saturday.

McGee, the silver medalist in Athens four years ago, said he had failed
badly in his quest to make the medals round.

“That was not the Bradley McGee I expected to be. You come in with a
positive mindset and in really good shape, but it just didn’t turn out,” said
McGee.

Roulston admitted he faces a big ask if he makes it to Saturday’s final.

“I think anyone is beatable but you have to cut your head off to beat
Bradely (Wiggins),” said the New Zealander.

“Anything can happen.”

Also qualified is Britain’s Steven Burke, Spaniard Antonio Tauler, American
Taylor Phinney and Alexander Serov of Russia.