Home
Cycling

Gold sees Wiggins become most successful GB Olympian

Tom Dodd
Cycling

Embed from Getty Images

By Thomas Dodd

  • Bradley Wiggins wins eighth Olympic medal by winning 4km Team Pursuit
  • GB set new world record in beating Australia in the final
  • ‘Wiggo’ moves past Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Chris Hoy on all time British list.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL- Cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins became the most decorated British athlete in Olympic history after taking Gold in the 4km Team Pursuit on Friday evening.

 

CLICK TO BUY Tour de France Gear

 

Along with teammates Ed Clancy, Owain Duall and Steven Burke, ‘Wiggo’ roared to Olympic glory to help GB retain the title they claimed in London four years ago.

Victory against Australia brought with it another world record and sweet revenge for the quartet who had lost to the same opponents at the World Championships earlier on in the year.

Wiggins now has eight Olympic medals in his trophy cabinet, moving him clear of Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Steve Redgrave on the all time list.

The medal was the seventh on the track and fifth Gold in total, the last of which had come in the road time trial around the grounds of Hampton Court Palace four years previously.

Favourites all the way through the competition, GB were made to work seriously hard for their Gold, and trailed the fast starting Australians for much of the 4000m contest.

But when the men from Down Under lost a man with around 1500 metres to go, Wiggins took charge to help his team overturn the deficit and power ahead in the final few laps in front of a noisy and enthusiastic velodrome crowd.

Wiggins was greeted by Hoy and Redgrave immediately after the race in the mixed zone and seemed genuinely taken aback by his latest sensational achievement.

Clancy’s triumph also meant he picked up a third straight Gold medal in the discipline, adding to the crown’s he won in Beijing and London.

The win also continued GBs stunning start to the track cycling events in Rio 2016, following Gold in the Men’s Team Sprint on Thursday night and a world record from the Women’s Team Pursuit foursome just hours earlier.

At the end of Day 7 GB sat third in the overall medal table, behind only the United States and China with seven golds, eight silvers and six bronzes.

Earlier in the evening, Denmark beat New Zealand to claim the bronze medal in the Men’s 4km Team Pursuit.