Women’s team pursuit – the untouchables

One extra rider and 1000m more racing, but Great Britain’s golden girls are showing no signs of slowing as they continue to set the team pursuit world alight.

There can surely be no more dominant team in world sport today, as records continue to tumble whenever the quartet takes to the track.

Victory on Friday night was achieved at such speed they nearly caught their Canadian opponents, and all this with Joanna Rowsell still recovering from injury.

It is not just the number of victories either – it is the manner of them. Rowsell, Dani King, Laura Trott and Elinor Barker rode as a full squad until just 500m from the finish.

By contrast, Canada had long since dropped their fourth rider – and this was by no means a poor team, having gone five seconds faster than Australia in qualifying.

Raced at an average speed of 55.47km/h, Rowsell said afterwards the sub 4’20” time was ahead of target but predicts the girls can go even faster.

And with expectation levels rising each time they come together, it is difficult not to see them doing so.