Jason Kenny

Following Sir Chris Hoy was never going to be an easy feat, not even for a three-time Olympic gold medallist like Jason Kenny. And it certainly looked that way when the Bolton-born rider struggled through qualifying in the keirin at February’s world championships in Minsk. Having to qualify through the repechage in the first round, Kenny then looked to have missed out on the final only to slip in through the back door when France’s Francois Pervis was penalised in the semi-final.

Having already disappointed in the team sprint – Britain finishing a lowly sixth – it was shaping to be a disappointing meet for the men’s sprint squad. However, Kenny had other ideas – taking full advantage of his reprieve in the final. The Brit launched his sprint on the final bend, timing his attack to perfection to earn a gold medal and repeat the achievements of Hoy 12 months earlier.