GOLDEN GIRL LAURA RACES INTO HISTORY
First British woman to win FOUR golds
LAURA Trott sped to a sensational second gold medal in rio last night, becoming the first British woman to win four Olympic golds. roared on by hundreds of Team GB supporters in rio’s velodrome, the 24-year-old won the women’s omnium with a ruthless combination of devastating pace and tactical brilliance.
The world’s top female cyclist dominated the six-race event over the final two days of cycling competition in Brazil, winning or finishing among the top riders in each of the disciplines, ranging from a 200m sprint to a 25km tactical battle.
her dominance will do little to silence Team GB’s crestfallen rivals, who were yesterday queueing up to suggest the British cyclists’ success was ‘very questionable’.
On the first day of competition, Trott, who lives in Manchester with fellow cyclist Jason Kenny, 28, had appeared exhausted after one section of the omnium. The petite blonde was physically sick and appeared in a bad way, putting her head in her hands.
Last night’s win was Trott’s second gold of the week following her victory in the team pursuit. That made her the first British woman to win three golds, a feat questioning why Britain’s cyclists equalled on Monday by individual are streaking past them. dressage champion Charlotte German world champion Kristina Dujardin. Last night’s win means vogel pointed to the dramatic Trott once again stands alone with improvement in performances by the most Olympic golds. Team GB between world championships
A tearful Trott said last night: ‘i and Olympics. can’t believe it – i did not expect ‘They were cannon fodder when that at all. i’m just so happy that it you look at the last few years,’ she all came together. The people you said. ‘now they come along with a don’t see, they’ve really helped me. (high) level. i don’t want to accuse i couldn’t have done it without anyone of anything but it is all very every single one of them.’ questionable.’
But Team GB’s amazing success Australian Anna Meares added: in the rio velodrome is not being ‘We’re all just scratching our heads. welcomed by everyone. They’ve got it together, and to be
in what could be interpreted as honest i’m not exactly sure what sour grapes, the team’s Australian, they’ve got together. it is not just French and German rivals have the Australian team that have questions.’ made thinly veiled comments French sprint coach Laurent Gané said: ‘The recipe should be asked for from our neighbours because i don’t understand. i don’t know what they’re doing. These are teams that do nothing extraordinary for four years and once they arrive at the Olympics they outclass the rest of the world.’
Michaël D’Almeida, part of France’s bronze medal-winning sprint team, said: ‘We are human beings like them, we are made of the same stuff, we have a bike like they do, so why are they better? if i had the explanation i wouldn’t be here today with a bronze medal around my neck. i’m not in their camp, in their country, i don’t know how it works, i don’t know what goes on. i have my ideas about certain things.’
British Cycling head coach iain Dyer said: ‘We’ve won 12 world titles since London 2012. if that makes us cannon fodder coming into the Olympics then so be it.
‘if you look at some of the times that have been done here, some of the teams simply haven’t shown up. That’s the bottom line.
‘While we peak athletically for the Olympics, we also peak in our research and innovation for the Olympics.
‘The helmets we are using here, for example, we used in 2012 but haven’t used them again until now. The bikes obviously are new, the first time. And no end of different components and strategies are only appearing for the first time.
‘When you look at our opposition, generally once you’ve seen them at the Olympics with their new kit, you go to the next World Cup and they are still on the same equipment. That’s just not the way we approach things.’
huge investment has also been made in technology, coaches say, to ensure the elite squad has the best equipment available.
‘Research and innovation’