Laura Kenny becomes first British woman to win gold medals at three consecutive games

6 August 2021, 12:17

Laura Kenny has become the first British woman to win gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games.

She surpassed Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel to become the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history.

Kenny took her fifth gold in the women's Madison, alongside Katie Archibald, taking her total number of medals up to six and joining Charlotte Dujardin as the most decorated British female Olympian.

It was the first ever running of the women's Madison, with the event also returning to the men's programme for the first time since 2008.

Read more: Charlotte Dujardin becomes Team GB's most decorated female Olympian

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The British pair won the first three sprints on the track before extending their advantage after their main rivals and Dutch pair Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters - the reigning world champions - were caught in a crash.

In the second half of the race, Kenny and Archibald got themselves in a series of breakaways, gaining a lap with a little over 20 to go to build an all-but-insurmountable lead.

By the end of the race, they had won 10 of the 12 sprints - including the double points for the last lap - to finish with 78 points, more than twice the tally of second-placed Denmark on 35.

Read more: Max Whitlock eyeing up success at Paris 2024 after sixth Olympic win in Tokyo

Kenny reflected on her performance at her first Olympics since having her son Albie.

"It's unbelievable. I'm just so glad. I've never wanted to win a race so badly in all my life," she said in quotes on the Team GB website.

"That was the one. I messaged Jason this morning and said, 'I feel like my Olympics ends today.'

"The one race I really wanted to do was this and we went and did it.

"I've never missed Albie so much in all my life. I kept saying to people, 'please don't ask me about Albie'.

"I couldn't have done it without these girls. It's so hard leaving him at home but to have Katie there the whole time, I just feel like I'm racing with a sister and I couldn't have done it if we didn't have that relationship."

Archibald now has two Olympic golds and one silver.