Track cycling has been a part of the modern Olympic Games since they were revived in 1896 in Athens, Greece. During that year, track cycling was among 43 events contested by 280 male athletes from 13 countries. Except for Stockholm 1912, where only a time trial was held, track cycling has featured in every Olympic Games.
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ToggleTeam Pursuit: A Test of Endurance and Precision
The Team Pursuit event is known for its clockwork precision and high speed. Despite being an endurance event, the times are around four minutes for women and just under four minutes for men over a 4,000-metre distance. This event first became part of the Olympic programme for men in 1908, with women being included from 2012. Initially, women’s teams were three riders racing 3,000 metres, but from Rio 2016 onwards, both menโs and womenโs teams have consisted of four riders competing over 4,000 metres.
Great Britain has dominated the sport in recent years, but other countries have risen to challenge their dominance. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Italy set the menโs record at 3:42.032, while Germanyโs women set a new record of 4:04.242.
Each team comprises four riders who race together across 16 laps (4,000 km), taking turns pulling at the front while the others draft behind in a straight line. Two teams start on opposite sides of the track, and the time is recorded as the third rider’s front wheel crosses the finish line.
Technical Skill and Strategy
The lead rider powers the team into a turn and then pulls off high on the banking, rejoining at the back in the draft of the last rider. Effective exchanges save energy, allowing the team to maintain a faster pace. Riders must be technically skilled and understand each other’s abilities well, ensuring at least three riders stay together until the finish. In recent years, the tactics have changed so that most of the fastest teams will deliberately finish with 3 riders. The 4th rider who drops off is able to empty themselves for the team earlier in the race before the 3 finishers take over to complete the effort.
Teams are allowed to enter five riders and combine them into teams of four for each round. To reach the final, teams must endure three rounds. The first is a qualifying round where each team races alone to set their fastest time. The top four teams compete for the gold medal, while the next four fastest teams can only earn bronze at best.
In the first round, matchups are based on qualifying ranks: 6th vs 7th, 5th vs 8th, 2nd vs 3rd, and 1st vs 4th. The winners of the last two heats compete for the gold medal. The times of the losing teams in the last two heats are grouped with the first two heats, and the two fastest teams from these six make the bronze medal final. In the final head-to-head rounds, the fastest team wins the medals, with an automatic win if a team gets within one metre of catching their opponent.
By mastering these elements, teams can turn the Team Pursuit into one of the most graceful and exciting events in the world of track cycling.
Olympics Team Pursuit Past Winners
Men’s Winners Table
Year | City | Gold Medalist | Team Members |
---|---|---|---|
1908 | London | Great Britain | Benjamin Jones, Clarence Kingsbury, Leonard Meredith, Ernest Payne |
1920 | Antwerp | Italy | Arnaldo Carli, Ruggero Ferrario, Franco Giorgetti, Primo Magnani |
1924 | Paris | Italy | Angelo de Martino, Alfredo Dinale, Aurelio Menegazzi, Francesco Zucchetti |
1928 | Amsterdam | Italy | Giacomo Gaioni, Cesare Facciani, Mario Lusiani, Luigi Tasselli |
1932 | Los Angeles | Italy | Nino Borsari, Marco Cimatti, Alberto Ghilardi, Paolo Pedretti |
1936 | Berlin | France | Robert Charpentier, Jean Goujon, Guy Lapรฉbie, Roger-Jean Le Nizerhy |
1948 | London | France | Pierre Adam, Serge Blusson, Charles Coste, Fernand Decanali |
1952 | Helsinki | Italy | Loris Campana, Mino De Rossi, Guido Messina, Marino Morettini |
1956 | Melbourne | Italy | Antonio Domenicali, Leandro Faggin, Franco Gandini, Valentino Gasparella, Virginio Pizzali |
1960 | Rome | Italy | Luigi Arienti, Franco Testa, Mario Vallotto, Marino Vigna |
1964 | Tokyo | United Team of Germany | Lothar Claesges, Karl-Heinz Henrichs, Karl Link, Ernst Streng |
1968 | Mexico City | Denmark | Gunnar Asmussen, Mogens Jensen, Per Lyngemark, Reno Olsen |
1972 | Munich | West Germany | Gรผnther Schumacher, Jรผrgen Colombo, Gรผnter Haritz, Udo Hempel |
1976 | Montreal | West Germany | Peter Vonhof, Gregor Braun, Hans Lutz, Gรผnther Schumacher |
1980 | Moscow | Soviet Union | Viktor Manakov, Valery Movchan, Vladimir Osokin, Vitaly Petrakov, Aleksandr Krasnov |
1984 | Los Angeles | Australia | Michael Grenda, Kevin Nichols, Michael Turtur, Dean Woods |
1988 | Seoul | Soviet Union | Viatcheslav Ekimov, Artลซras Kasputis, Dmitry Nelyubin, Gintautas Umaras |
1992 | Barcelona | Germany | Stefan Steinweg, Andreas Walzer, Guido Fulst, Michael Glรถckner, Jens Lehmann |
1996 | Atlanta | France | Christophe Capelle, Philippe Ermenault, Jean-Michel Monin, Francis Moreau |
2000 | Sydney | Germany | Guido Fulst, Robert Bartko, Daniel Becke, Jens Lehmann |
2004 | Athens | Australia | Graeme Brown, Brett Lancaster, Bradley McGee, Luke Roberts |
2008 | Beijing | Great Britain | Ed Clancy, Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas, Bradley Wiggins |
2012 | London | Great Britain | Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Steven Burke, Peter Kennaugh |
2016 | Rio de Janeiro | Great Britain | Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Owain Doull, Bradley Wiggins |
2020 | Tokyo | Italy | Simone Consonni, Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon, Jonathan Milan |
Summary Table
Country | Number of Wins |
---|---|
Italy | 9 |
Great Britain | 6 |
Germany (including West Germany and United Team of Germany) | 5 |
France | 3 |
Soviet Union | 2 |
Australia | 2 |
Denmark | 1 |
Women’s Winners Table
Year | City | Gold Medalist | Team Members |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | London | Great Britain | Dani King, Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell |
2016 | Rio de Janeiro | Great Britain | Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell Shand |
2020 | Tokyo | Germany | Franziska Brauรe, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein, Mieke Krรถger |
Summary Table
Country | Number of Wins |
---|---|
Great Britain | 2 |
Germany | 1 |