Australia SHATTER world record in warning shot to Team GB ahead of gold medal showdown

Australia have broken the men’s team pursuit world record on day two of the Olympic track cycling program.

The combination of Olympic medallists Sam Welsford, Kelland O’Brien, plus Games debutants Conor Leahy and Oliver Bleddyn, clocked four minutes 40.730 seconds to easily beat reigning Games champions Italy in their round-one heat.

That sets up a gold-medal ride on Wednesday against Great Britain, Australia’s long-time fierce rivals in the event.

The previous world record was 3:42.032, set by Italy at the Tokyo Olympics.

Also on Tuesday, Australia won bronze in the men’s team sprint, beating France in their ride-off.

The combination of Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer rode 41.597 seconds to beat France’s 41.993 in front of the raucous and parochial home crowd at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome outside Paris.

Had they posted that time earlier on Tuesday in the first round, Australia would have ridden off against the Netherlands for the gold medal.

But Australia only managed 42.336, while the Dutch broke their own record.

The Aussies have set up a tantalising match up with Team GB for Wednesday

The Dutch reduced the world mark again as they beat Great Britain in the final, clocking 40.979 to 41.814. They are the first team to go sub-41.

While it is Australia’s first Olympic medal in the event since bronze at the Sydney Games, they made no secret of their gold medal aspirations.

Australia had upset the powerful Dutch to win the 2022 world title and were narrowly runners-up to them at last year’s worlds.

Australia had qualified fastest in the men’s team pursuit on Monday, but it was unclear which teams were riding to schedules and saving their best for the first round.

The Australians beat Italy by more than two seconds – a whopping margin.

Australia last won the men’s team pursuit gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and finished runner-ups to the British at the ’12 and ’16 Olympics.

They won bronze in Tokyo – Australia’s only medal on the track at those Olympics – after Alex Porter face-planted in qualifying when his handlebar snapped off.

Also on Tuesday, Australia was sixth-fastest in women’s team pursuit qualifying.