Team GB cyclists at Tokyo 2020: How the track squad could look
By Matt Westby
Last Updated: 24/08/16 7:40pm
Great Britain dominated the track cycling for the third Olympic Games in succession at Rio 2016.
Having now won 20 gold medals since 2008, attention will turn to whether they can continue their monopoly at Tokyo 2020.
Here, we speculate on what the team could look like…
MEN'S SPRINT
Team in Rio: Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes, Callum Skinner.
Rio medals: Team sprint gold, sprint gold (Kenny), sprint silver (Skinner), keirin gold (Kenny).
Possible team in Tokyo: Same.
How old will they be? Kenny 32, Hindes 27, Skinner 27.
All three were in imperious form in Rio and all three are young enough to return in Tokyo. Kenny has a record-breaking seventh gold medal to aim for, Hindes' unparalleled power in the team sprint means his place is unlikely to come under threat, and Skinner should only get better after establishing himself as a world-class sprinter in Rio.
WOMEN'S SPRINT
Team in Rio: Becky James, Katy Marchant.
Rio medals: Keirin silver (James), sprint silver (James), sprint bronze (Marchant).
Possible team in Tokyo: Same.
How old will they be? James 28, Marchant 27.
James and Marchant went to Rio more in hope than expectation but delivered an excellent return of three medals and should be even stronger in Tokyo, when they are likely to be at their peaks. They will also hope to compete in the team sprint, which they failed to qualify for this time around.
MEN'S PURSUIT
Team in Rio: Sir Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Owain Doull.
Rio medal: Team pursuit gold.
Possible team in Tokyo: Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Oliver Wood, Matt Gibson.
How old will they be? Clancy 35, Burke 32, Wood 24, Gibson 23.
The men's pursuit team is the area that is likely to see the most change over the coming Olympic cycle. Wiggins is set to retire and Doull has joined Team Sky, so neither will be present in Tokyo, while Clancy has had serious back problems in the past 12 months and must now decide whether or not he wants to continue for another four years. Burke is the only team member from Rio who is almost certain to be racing in 2020.
Waiting to step up are a host of promising youngsters, including Oliver Wood, Matt Gibson and Mark Stewart, while sprinter-turned-pursuiter Kian Emadi may also be in contention.
WOMEN'S PURSUIT
Team in Rio: Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker, Katie Archibald, Ciara Horne.
Rio medal: Team pursuit gold.
Possible team in Tokyo: Same.
How old will they be? Trott 28, Rowsell Shand 31, Barker 25, Archibald 26, Horne 30.
Having won gold in world-record time while all being aged 27 or under, these five could easily still be in place and riding even faster in Tokyo. However, Britain's under-23 team of Emily Kay, Emily Nelson, Dannielle Khan and Manon Lloyd demolished the field to win the European under-23 title in July and all could push the established quintet hard for places.
MEN'S OMNIUM
Rider in Rio: Mark Cavendish.
Rio medal: Silver.
Possible rider in Tokyo: Mark Cavendish or Ed Clancy.
How old will he be? 35.
Cavendish may have claimed to be happy with silver, but his bitter disappointment at not winning gold was clear to see and it would be no surprise if he made one last bid for an Olympic title in Tokyo. He said after the Games that he would have to all but retire from the road in order to race the omnium in 2020, so three more years of road racing and then a Wiggins-esque switch back to the track could be on the cards.
However, he will face competition for Britain's sole place from Clancy, who has revealed he is keen to race both the team pursuit and omnium in Tokyo.
WOMEN'S OMNIUM
Rider in Rio: Laura Trott.
Rio medal: Gold.
Possible rider in Tokyo: Same.
How old will she be? 28.
Trott has proved invincible in the omnium at her two Olympics so far and it seems only injury or illness can stop her going for a third gold in a row in Tokyo.
