Britain on track for Australian Olympic charge

British track cycling team bosses admit they are unlikely to dominate the Olympics as they did in Beijing following the resurgence of rivals Australia.

But after the 2012 World Championships, where both countries looked down on their rivals from atop the medals table, Britain’s performance director Dave Brailsford was looking to London with optimism.

“If we were maxing out, then there would be cause for concern,” said Brailsford.

“But I think there’s no reason why we can’t step up again.”

Britain’s impressive 12-medal haul from the Laoshan velodrome in 2008 included seven gold from the 10 Olympic finals. Australia, the track kings of Athens in 2004, won only one medal, a silver, through sprinter Anna Meares.

Australia, however, have now dominated the track World Championships for the fourth consecutive year.

“We are going to go to London expecting to be at our absolute best, and if we go there at our best the outcomes will take care of themselves,” said Australia’s performance director Kevin Tabotta.

His team topped the table at the five-day championships with 15 medals including six gold while Britain were second on 13 also with six gold.

Brailsford admitted the competitive gap has narrowed.

“There is nothing in it,” he said.

“Previously in some events there has been a physical difference and I don’t think that’s any longer the case.”

As well as winning more than a third of the competition’s 57 medals, both teams dug deep to crucially win world titles in eight of the 10 Olympic events.

Australia won the men’s team sprint, the women’s keirin and the men’s omnium while Britain fared better with five gold in the women’s and men’s team pursuit, the women’s sprint and omnium and the men’s keirin.

From the 10 Olympic disciplines, Britain and Australia won a total of 16 medals at the championships.

A year on from winning just one World Championship gold, Brailsford says he is even more encouraged by the intensity of performance shown by his team.

Calling it the “hardest fought World Championships I’ve ever seen”, Brailsford saw world records in the men’s and women’s team pursuit as well as a number of intense battles from riders still fighting for Olympic selection.

“There’s so many nations now who have got so close with their performances and there’s so many riders desperate to get selection for the Olympic Games, the whole cocktail of those things has made it terrifically difficult and challenging,” said Brailsford.

“But I think we’ve come through it well, I think we’ve moved on which was the key thing and some of the key battles have gone our way.”