Britain's women shattered the world record during the qualifying rounds of the Olympic track cycling team sprint at the National Velodrome on Monday.
The trio of Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell, and Emma Finucane completed their three laps of the 250m track in 45.472 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 45.487 set by China earlier this year.
This marks a significant achievement for Britain, as they have not fielded a women's team in this event since 2012. The team now has strong medal prospects, especially with individual world champion Finucane making her Olympic debut.
New Zealand's team, composed of Rebecca Petch, Shaane Fulton, and Ellesse Andrews, posted the second-fastest time at 45.593 seconds. The German team, consisting of Pauline Grabosch, Emma Hinze, and Lea Friedrich—who were favorites for gold—clocked the third-fastest time at 45.644 seconds.
Two-time defending Olympic champions China finished fifth in the qualifying rounds.
In the upcoming first round, teams will compete in head-to-head heats to determine the contenders for the medals. Photo by Sam from Vancouver, Canada, Wikimedia commons.