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The women’s team pursuit is making its debut at an Olympic Games here in London. This marks the first time in history that men and women will race the same amount of events on the velodrome at an Olympics.
This balance comes after the removal of the Madison, individual pursuits and points races from the program allowing it.
At the World Champions in Melbourne earlier this year, it was the British team of Danielle King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell who defeated the Australian team of Annette Edmondson, Melissa Hoskins and Josephine Tomic.
They won by 1.223 seconds to take gold in a world-record time of 3:15.720.
Despite this, like the men, Great Britain didn’t win gold in the individual event. However they did do better with Wendy Houvenaghel winning silver behind New Zealand’s Alison Shanks.
The Women’s team pursuit has been run at the World Championships now since 2008. Great Britain leads the medal table with four of the five gold medals, two in world record time, and one silver in 2010.
It was the Australian team of Josephine Tomic, Ashlee Ankudinoff and Sarah Kent who have Australia’s sole gold in the team pursuit, beating out the Brits by just over half a second.
Interestingly in 2010, New Zealand broke the world record in the bronze-medal ride off, a time that would have won gold by two-tenths of a second.
Australia received a medal of each colour from the World Champions event.
I can’t see anyone but the Brits winning this event.
Australia tried valiantly in Melbourne, going out very hard and taking up to the Brits. But the cool heads at Team GB saw them storm over the top of our Aussie girls in the final 750m two win the event.
I think we’ll see the same happen here.
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