Australia won their first men’s Olympic team pursuit title in 20 years yesterday to take their medals haul from track cycling at the Athens Games to four from four days of competition.
The world champions, who had destroyed their own world record in Sunday’s qualifiers, were comfortable winners in the final against Britain, who were seeking their first gold in the event since the London Games of 1908. Australia’s win gave Brad McGee a gold to add to the silver he took in the individual pursuit on Saturday and his three bronzes from the Sydney and Atlanta Games.
“I’ve got a big swathe of these things now and hopefully there’s still more to come,” he said, taking off his medal as he spoke to reporters and hanging it around the neck of his three-year-old daughter, who had green and yellow Aussie kangaroos stenciled on her arms.
Spain came from behind to beat defending champions Germany in the race for bronze, claiming only the fourth Olympic track cycling medal of their history.
That gave Sergi Escobar his second medal of the Games following his third place in the individual pursuit. Australia’s win was their first in this event since the Los Angeles Games of 1984 and only their second ever.
It takes their medal tally from cycling at these Games to five — three golds and two silvers — including a gold in the women’s road race on the opening weekend.
They will almost certainly add to their treasure chest in today’s individual sprint finals. Ryan Bayley and Anna Meares reached the last four comfortably yesterday and Meares in particular looks a good bet to add to her 500-meter time trial gold. Britain’s defeat means their long search for a gold medal in the men’s team pursuit goes on. Since that initial victory 96 years ago, they have taken two silvers and no fewer than nine bronzes in this event but have never topped the podium.Nevertheless, Britain’s silver was their 38th medal in the 108-year history of Olympic track cycling.
