Team Pursuit (4,000 metres), Women

Great Britain had dominated this event by winning gold every year since the team pursuit was launched at London in 2012, and Laura Kenny was hoping for her third consecutive gold medal, while Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker were looking to collect back-to-back golds. The United States were expected to offer the biggest challenge to Great Britain, but it was the German quartet of Franziska Brauße, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein, and Mieke Kröger who shattered the world record in qualifying, with a time of 4:07.307, nearly three seconds better than Great Britain’s old record. Brennauer, Klein, Brauße were all members of the German team that won the bronze medal behind the USA and Great Britain at the 2020 World Track Championships, while Brennauer and Brauße were the individual pursuit silver and bronze medallists.

The British four looked like taking their world record back shortly afterwards, and were under Germany’s time with only 500 metres to go, but then fell away to qualify in second place, 1.715 behind the Germans. The reigning world champions United States qualified in third place, and set up a semi-final against Great Britain in what was a repeat of the 2016 Rio final. Germany met Italy, who qualified in fourth place, in the other semi-final.

The United States started off their semi-final well and were leading up to the 2000 metre mark until Team GB caught them and after that it was neck-and-neck. At the bell, Great Britain led by 0.381 before winning by 0.814 in yet another world record 4:06.748. They held that record for a matter of minutes, however, as the Germans beat Italy with ease and re-claimed it with 4:06.159 in their semi-final.

In the bronze medal race, the United States beat Canada by more than two seconds to take the medal, while it was the two dominant teams, Germany and Great Britain who raced for the gold. Great Britain brought in Neah Evans for the final in place of Elinor Barker, while the Germans stuck with the same four that broke the world record in qualifying, and they were again in world record-breaking mood, reducing it to clock 4:04.249 as they demolished the British quartet and won by more than six seconds. They broke the world record in every round.

Laura Kenny won the fifth Olympic medal of her career and was, with Katherine Grainger (rowing) and Kitty McKane (tennis), the second most decorated female British Olympic after dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin.