Tokyo 2020 - Laura Kenny wins fifth Olympic medal in pursuit but Team GB beaten by record-breaking Germany

ByTom Bennett

Updated 03/08/2021 at 11:32 GMT

The time from Germany was an enormous world record, meaning they had set the fastest time in history in all three of their rides in Tokyo. It was Kenny’s fifth medal of her extraordinary career but the first one that wasn’t gold. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

Laura Kenny secured the fifth Olympic medal of her extraordinary Olympic career, but had to settle for silver in the final of the women’s team pursuit as Germany produced a stunning ride to take gold.

Kenny, along with team pursuit team-mates Katie Archibald, Josie Knight and Neah Evans (with Elinor Barker the reserve rider), knew they would like have to produce a career best performance to deny the phenomenal Germany side gold.

And GB were unable to do so in the final, with Germany almost catching the Brits inside the last 250m.

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And the time from Germany was an enormous world record, meaning they set the fastest time in history in all three of their rides in Tokyo.

The gold medal race always promised to be a classic, with Germany and Team GB breaking the world record three times between them in Tokyo en-route to the final.

'Oh no!' - GB team crash celebrating seconds after breaking world record

Germany had laid down a marker on Monday, smashing the time that had stood since Britain’s winning ride at the Rio Olympics five years ago.

The world record exchanged hands in quick succession in the heats, with GB beating the world record and Germany hitting back with a time half a second quicker in their own ride.

British riders Archibald and Evans had been involved in a crash after crossing the line in their heat earlier on Tuesday, and the incident may have impacted them in the final. But nobody was competing with the dominant Germans, who were the dominant side throughout the competition, taking six seconds in total off the world record from Rio across the competition.

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