Jack our best hope in sprint now, insists Kenny
OLYMPIC legend Jason Kenny believes team-mate Jack Carlin is Britain’s best chance of a men’s sprint medal in Tokyo even though he remains in contention himself.
Kenny, who took gold in London and Rio, qualified eighth fastest having struggled to recover from the exertions of taking silver in Tuesday’s team event.
The six-time Olympic champion was pushed all the way to the line by Malaysia’s Azizulhasni Awang in his first elimination race and
Japan’s Yuta Wakimoto in his second. That prompted the 33-year-old to say Carlin, who qualified third fastest, was carrying British medal hopes, with Dutch duo Jeffrey Hoogland and Harrie Lavreysen also strongly fancied.
‘Jack is really strong and is in a really good position,’ Kenny said. ‘He’s definitely our best chance. The Dutch boys are a bit quicker but Jack’s got the edge in racing.
‘I’m playing a bit of a supporting role for the first time. It just felt like every ride was a final.’
Elsewhere, Katy Marchant advanced to the quarter-finals of the keirin despite being relegated for straying out of bounds in winning her first heat.
The Rio bronze medallist, who advanced from the repechage, said: ‘I’d rather learn that lesson in the first round than the semis or finals.’
Britain salvaged some pride with Charlie Tansfield, Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon and Ollie Wood setting a national record in the men’s team pursuit, as they finished seventh. Italy took the title.