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29th Olympic Games - JO
Beijing, China, August 9-23, 2008
Main Page Results Previous Event Next Event
Event 28 - August 18: Men's 4000m Team Pursuit Final
Foursome put the 'great' in Great Britain
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The British pursuit team of Ed Clancy, Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas and Olympic and world champion Bradley Wiggins smashed their own world record by nearly two seconds to take the gold medal in the men's team pursuit finals on Monday. The previous mark of 3'55.202, set in round one, was eclipsed by a stunning 3'53.314 by the Brits in the evening's final.
"We didn't realise what kind of time we had. We thought we might beat the record, but not by three seconds," Wiggins said to AP. "We knew the gold wasn't ours by right and that we had to give our best performance."
Wiggins and Manning were part of the team which took bronze in Sydney and silver in Athens, and for Manning, finally getting a gold medal was first and foremost in his mind. "We gave 100 percent and that's what you get. To me the medal is more important than the record," said Manning.
The team pursuit gold is the ninth medal for the British in the Games, and the fourth gold.
The Danish team was powerless to stop the blue and white freight train which threatened to catch them in the closing laps, but only had to finish to take home that country's first track cycling medal since the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Casper Jørgensen, Jens-Erik Madsen, and Michael Faerk Christensen, who rode in the qualifying round, will exit the games with the silver, while Michael Mørkøv and Alex Rasmussen will continue on to the Madison in search of gold.
The bronze medal final was more dramatic, as the two Oceanic nations, New Zealand and Australia, battled neck and neck over the first two kilometres before the Kiwis slowly pulled away in the second half. Sam Bewley, Hayden Roulston, Marc Ryan and Jesse Sergeant worked perfectly together to maintain the winning pace. Luke Roberts and Graeme Brown, one half of the Australian squad which took gold in Athens four years ago, Jack Bobridge and Mark Jamieson faded out of the medal, conceding more than a second.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Casey Gibson/www.cbgphoto.com
- Great Britain blasted around the course and almost caught the Danes
- The British team hammered out a new world record and bested its own performance by almost two seconds!
- The British team proudly shows the gold medals.
- The screen says it all, new Olympic and World Record for Great Britain.
- The Aussies finished fourth in the Team pursuit after a tough match with the New Zealand squad.
- Geraint Thomas, Bradley Wiggins, Paul Manning and Ed Clancey show off the gold.
- The Brits flew to a new world record.
- The team from Denmark had a great ride, but didn't stand a realistic chance of beating Great Britain.
- New Zealand upset Australia to take the bronze medal.
- Bradley Wiggins celebrates with Paul Manning.
- Wiggins lets everyone know who is number one but we all knew that already.
Images by AFP Photo
- The New Zealand team had the edge over the Aussie in the ride for third place.
- Australia was long time even with the Kiwis but in the end had to surrender by a good second.
- Denmark had no chance against Great Britain in the final, but avoided getting caught.
- New Zealand celebrated a win over Australia.
- Denmark celebrates its silver medal like a win.
- The Kiwis with the medals.
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Mark Cavendish will team up with Bradley Wiggins for the Madison tomorrow.
- New Zealand's squad were in find form.
- Australia's squad looked strong, but failed to bring home the bronze.
- Denmark were quick... but the team from Great Britain was quicker.
- Great Britain lived up to its expectations posting a record breaking, gold medal winning run.
- New Zealand beat its perennial rivals Australia.
- Australia hold a tight formation during the bronze medal ride off.
- Australia dropped down to three riders early.
- New Zealand claimed its second cycling medal of this year's Olympic Games.
- The Kiwis celebrate their bronze medal victory.
- The British get up to speed quickly.
- The Danes kept it close for the first couple of laps...
- ...but by he 3000 metre mark the Danish team was struggling to avoid being caught.
- Great Britain claimed and expected victory.
- Bradley Wiggins had a special flag for his second gold medal.
- The Great Britain team celebrates its win.
- Podium (L-R): Denmark, Great Britain and New Zealand.
- Great Britain's riders don't mind their media responsibilities, after all, showing off a gold medal is what they've always dreamed of.
Images by Greg Chang/PhotoSport International
- The Australian pursuit team lacked a bit of power and could not match the Kiwis.
- New Zealand on its way to bronze.
- The Kiwis looked stealthy in their all black skinsuits.
- The New Zealand team celebrates after besting the Aussies in the bronze medal final.
- Denmark on the start line ready to take on the British.
- Denmark takes the start in the men's pursuit final.
- Bradley Wiggins captained the team which won the gold.
- The British pursuit machine.
- The team from Great Britain chugs on after losing a man in the closing laps.
- Denmark put in a good effort to make the gold medal round but were never a threat to the Brits.
- Britain rode like a machine to set a new world record by two seconds.
- The Brits threatened to catch the Danes on the last lap, but just missed.
- Bradley Wiggins has his own flag.
- The British team pursuiters pose after winning the gold.
- Bradley Wiggins leads the team in celebrating their gold medal.
- The British fans celebrate another gold medal.
- The Union Jack flies high for the British gold medallists.
- The men's team pursuit podium Denmark, Great Britain and New Zealand.
Results
1 Great Britain 3.53.314 (61.719 km/h *World Record) Ed Clancy Paul Manning Geraint Thomas Bradley Wiggins 2 Denmark 4.00.040 Michael Mørkøv Casper Jørgensen Jens-Erik Madsen Alex Nicki Rasmussen 3 New Zealand 3.57.776 (60.561 km/h) Sam Bewley Hayden Roulston Marc Ryan Jesse Sergent 4 Australia 3.59.006 Jack Bobridge Graeme Brown Mark Jamieson Luke Roberts
