Great Britain’s track cyclists achieved Team GB’s 1,000th Olympic medal, but narrowly missed gold in the men’s team pursuit as Australia managed to maintain a slim advantage.
In a final that was nearly impossible to decide, Ethan Hayter, Dan Bigham, Charlie Tanfield, and Ethan Vernon claimed silver after Hayter lost his saddle in the final lap.
As the British team surged forward in the climactic moments of the 4,000m race, Hayter faced immense pressure and nearly crashed after sliding too far forward. “I just really gave too much,” he reflected. “My whole body went weak, and I struggled to stay on the bike in the end.”
This was a final that could have easily favored either side, even as Australia led by a slim margin entering the last kilometer. “This is the nature of team-pursuing at this level,” said Bigham. “It’s extremely close at the finish. You’re pushing your teammates to their limits, ensuring they cross the finish line completely exhausted, and you have to find that breaking point, which we unfortunately saw today.”
“It was one of those classic battles between GB and Australia that the Olympics are known for. Hayter reached the limit, but that limit was the end of the saddle, and it marked the end of our run. We knew it would be a close contest. It’s just disappointing to have it slip away from us at such a critical moment.”
After a reshuffle in the British lineup, Bigham replaced Ollie Wood, having previously missed the Tuesday session to recover from a training crash. However, it was Hayter whose performance was key to their bid for gold. “We pushed Hayter for almost five laps when we typically give him four and a quarter, and it turned out to be too much,” Bigham said.
Hayter battles to keep his emotions in check following the race. Photograph: David Davies/PA
Despite falling short of gold, Team GB has consistently excelled in the men’s team pursuit, clinching medals at six of the last seven Olympics. This silver, secured by a narrow margin, signals a return to near-world record performance levels and indicates that the team is on the path back to world-leading status.
In the women’s team pursuit, Team GB earned a bronze medal, with Elinor Barker, Josie Knight, Anna Morris, and Jess Roberts extending the women’s streak of podium finishes at every Olympic Games since 2012, when this event was reintroduced.
In the first round of the women’s team pursuit, Team GB faced the formidable American team featuring Chloé Dygert, who took bronze in time trials, Kristen Faulkner, winner of the women’s road race, Lily Williams, and Jennifer Valente. Following a series of setbacks, notably Katie Archibald’s leg injury prior to the Games, the bronze medal was a testament to the team’s resilience.
“Six weeks ago, when I returned home and found Katie in A&E, it felt like the Olympic dream had vanished,” recounted Knight, Archibald’s housemate. “It took a week to refocus. There was uncertainty around selection, and we were anxious about who would make up the team. It was a nerve-wracking week, and we had to strategize anew.”
Members of Great Britain’s women’s pursuit team proudly display their bronze medals. Photograph: Martin Divisek/EPA
The U.S. women’s pursuit team has also been a consistent presence on the podium since 2012, having secured silver in both 2012 and 2016, and bronze in Tokyo. They clocked the fastest time of the morning session with a time of 4:04.629 before defeating New Zealand for gold.
Not everything has gone smoothly on the track, as recurring issues with the last-lap bell ringer have caused confusion during races held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the bell was rung too late during the Canadian team’s 16-lap pursuit qualifier, leading to uncertainties about lap counts. “I thought that was the last lap, and then the bell rang as we were all sprinting for the line,” recalled Canadian rider Maggie Coles-Lyster. “Everyone was panicking, fearing we may have lost the race, and trust me, a 17-lap pursuit is no joke—it’s exhausting.”
The same issue recurred on Wednesday during the keirin heats when the bell was rung at the end of the final lap, causing errors among some competitors. Despite the ensuing chaos, officials determined that the mistake did not affect the race outcomes, and the results remained unchanged.
