The Malta Independent on Sunday
Britain win men’s team pursuit, Bradley Wiggins breaks UK medal record
The icing on the cake for the quartet of Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Owain Doull was breaking the world record twice in the space of a few pulsating hours at Rio's velodrome.
They blasted round the boards in a new best time for the 4,000m endurance event to crush New Zealand in the first round, then went even quicker to beat battling world champions Australia, who had squeezed past Denmark to reach the final.
The Danes took the bronze medal.
Britain's third consecutive Olympic team pursuit title was never the forgone conclusion some expected it to be as the Australian quartet of Alexander Edmondson, Michael Hepburn, Sam Welsford and Jack Bobridge ran them close.
The Australians made a terrific start and were leading for three quarters of the race before Britain roared back to win by 0.743 seconds in a time of 3:50.265.
Former Tour de France champion Wiggins, affectionately known as 'Sir Wiggo' after receiving a knighthood for his exploits, ran across the steeply banked track to celebrate his eighth Olympic medal, one more than Chris Hoy, with his wife Catherine.
British fans chanted "Wiggo Wiggo" after the podium ceremony at which Wiggins, ever the entertainer, poked out his tongue during the anthem, causing chuckles from his team mates.
"Hats off to the Australians -they're the reason we get up in the morning. It's a relief," he told reporters.
"Eighteen months ago there were doubts that I could come back and do this. It was gold or nothing for this team.”