Rio 2016: Jason Kenny wins sprint to claim fifth Olympic gold

Jason Kenny has won the fifth Oympic gold medal of his career as he successfully defended his individual pursuit title in Rio today, beating Team GB colleague Callum Skinner in the final.

The 28-year-old from Bolton won the final 2-0, coming from behind Skinner to power past him on the final bend in the first race, then launching his sprint early from the front in the second race to hold off the rider with whom, alongside Philip Hindes, he had won team sprint gold last week. Russia's Denis Dmitriev beat Australia's Matthew Glaetzer 2-0 to take bronze.

Tonight's final brings the country's medal haul to six at the velodrome, four of those gold. Kenny himself will have an opportunity to go for a sixth gold medal to tie Sir Chris Hoy's British record in the keirin.

Tonight's victory sees Kenny draw alongside Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Bradley Wiggins as a five-time Olympic champion.

The victory sees Kenny draw alongside Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Bradley Wiggins as a five-time Olympic champion.

“We finished the semis yesterday, which was a real scrap for both of us, and then we’ve had the best part of 24-hours to sit on it before we came back to fight it out in the final," Kenny said afterwards.

“We’re sharing a room in an apartment," Kenny went on.  "We did the same thing we normally do, had dinner, went to bed, had breakfast, had lunch and came here – it’s really boring.

“I enjoyed it, it was a bit lonely at London 2012 with it only just being one [rider] per nation and being on my own in the finals. It’s just better to be with someone who’s going through the same thing.”

Skinner said: “The whole journey so far has been incredible, so to come away with a silver medal, I got beaten by the world champion and two-time Olympic sprint champion, so I did everything I could.

“I never thought I’d be going home with two medals. Philip Hindes believed in us, made some weird statements now and again but it’s just been incredible, so to come away with anything is just a bonus.”

Meanwhile, this evening Becky James set a new Olympic record in qualifying fastest for the individual sprint, with team mate Katy Marchant putting in the second quickest time. Both successfully negotiated their round of 16 races.

Today has also seen Mark Cavendish's challenge for the omnium get under way, as he finished sixth in the scratch race, won by defending champion
Lasse Norman Hansen of Denmark.

The British rider moved up to third overall after the second event, the individual pursuit, where Hansen posted the fastest time and beat the Olympic record set in 2008 by Wiggins, set in the ranking round on the last occasion it featured as a standalone event at the Games.

In the final event of the evening, the elimination race, Hansen was surprisingly the first rider to go out. Shortly afterwards, second placed Roger Kluge of Germany also went out, and Cavendish had a huge opportunity to take points on his rivals.

However, he only finished seventh after finding himself boxed in and trying to illegally pass world champion Fernando Gaviria of Colombia on the inside. Cavendish remains third overall going into today's second day.

Coach Rod Ellingworth said: “He’s disappointed obviously but he’s right where we want him to be. He’s still in with a shout and there’s still all to race for.

“I was surprised he did a 4.16 [in the individual pursuit], I thought he would do a 4.17. He’s really worked hard these last few days and he’s consistently been doing this in training.

“He stuck to his plan. Fernando Gaviria went right up on him and knowing how Mark is – I saw him looking over the track a few times and I thought ‘don’t react’ and he didn’t. He kept his cool, which was nice to see.

“He’s disappointed. He knows he was perhaps one of the best riders on the track with the way he was moving. Technically on the track he looks fantastic and that bodes well.

“He’s a winner, isn’t he? So he’s never happy unless he’s on the top step, but he’ll take it [third place].”