Champions reflect on golden moment
OLYMPIC heroes Laura Trott and Jason Kenny have returned home to Macclesfield as the competition’s most decorated couple.
Team GB cyclist Laura spoke to the Express from Rio on the day she woke up as Britain’s most successful woman Olympian of all time, after winning her fourth gold medal in the omnium race.
She said that rides around the lanes and hills of Macclesfield, from the cottage she shares with fiancé cyclist Jason Kenny and their dogs in Chelford, helped them on the road to Olympic glory.
The omnium win was Laura’s second gold this Games, after winning the team pursuit last week, and she already had two golds from London 2012.
It means she and Jason Kenny brought five gold medals back home to Macclesfield, where they are now both reflecting on their epic wins.
Jason, who won three golds at Beijing and London, won the individual and team sprints as well as the ‘keirin’ in spectacular fashion despite two false starts.
Laura said: “It’s been such an incredible day. I’ll never forget how it felt to win that fourth medal. It felt amazing, beyond my wildest dreams and it’s great for Jason and me to be here in Rio together.
“The atmosphere here in Rio is just incredible, especially with Team GB winning more medals than ever before. Our hashtag here has been #oneteam and that’s really how it’s been. Everyone has really got together.
“I always wanted to be an Olympian, then an Olympic champion but I never imagined that I’d come away as the most successful woman.
“It’s been hard to get to where I am, but it’s been worth it.”
The couple moved to Macclesfield three years ago to be closer to the home of British Cycling at the velodrome in Manchester. They quickly made themselves at home training on the local lanes and hills. Laura said: “It will be nice for Jason and me to get home. Rio has been incredible and it will take a while to sink in. It won’t really until we get home to Macclesfield.
“Macclesfield is our base and we miss it when we’re away. “We did a lot of training around Macclesfield. We tend to do loops starting in Macclesfield and then going to places like Tatton Park, and the Cat and Fiddle is great.”
A special lorry with Laura’s face on it for sofa firm DFS, which sponsors Team GB and its base British House, is set to appear in Macclesfield soon.
Track star Wiggins heads to town for Tour of Britain, see page 9.