Aussie men’s team pursuit team shatters world record to set up Olympic gold medal race with Great Britain

Australia’s men’s team pursuit team have sent an ominous message ahead of the gold medal race on Day 2 of the Olympic track cycling program.

The Aussie team made up of Sam Welsford, Kelland O’Brien, Conor Leahy and Oliver Bleddyn broke the world record in their heat on Wednesday morning (AEST) to qualify for the gold medal decider against Great Britain.

They had former world record-holders and reigning Olympic champions Italy to navigate through in the first round of heats, but did so easily with a new global best of 3:40.730.

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The Italians’ previous mark of 3:42.032 was set in Tokyo at the last Olympics.

Australia will now face their longtime British rivals on Wednesday night.

Earlier in the program, Australia won bronze in the men’s team sprint, beating France in their ride-off.

The combination of Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer rode 41.597 seconds to beat France’s 41.993 in front of the raucous and parochial home crowd at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome outside Paris.

Had they posted that time earlier on Tuesday in the first round, Australia would have ridden off against the Netherlands for the gold medal.

The Aussies won bronze after a great ride. Credit: Alex Broadway/Getty Images

But Australia only managed 42.336, while the Dutch broke their own record.

The Dutch reduced the world mark again as they beat Great Britain in the final, clocking 40.979 to 41.814. They are the first team to go sub-41.

While it is Australia’s first Olympic medal in the event since bronze at the Sydney Games, they made no secret of their gold medal aspirations.

Australia had upset the powerful Dutch to win the 2022 world title and were narrowly runners-up to them at last year’s worlds.

Australia had qualified fastest in the men’s team pursuit on Monday, but it was unclear which teams were riding to schedules and saving their best for the first round.

The Australians beat Italy by a massive margin of more than two seconds.

Australia last won the men’s team pursuit gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and finished runner-ups to the British at the ‘12 and ‘16 Olympics.

They won bronze in Tokyo — Australia’s only medal on the track at those Olympics — after Alex Porter face-planted in qualifying when his handlebar snapped off.

Also on Tuesday (local time), Australia was sixth-fastest in women’s team pursuit qualifying.

– With AAP

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