Great Britain completed the opening day of the first Track Cycling World Championships on the road to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics without a gold medal, but with a satisfactory silver and a surprise bronze.
After Becky James and Vicky Williamson, making her senior world championships debut, finished third in the women’s team sprint, silver was claimed in the men’s team pursuit, an event in which Britain won world and Olympic gold in 2012.
Two of the London Olympic-winning quartet Ed Clancy and Steven Burke were present in the squad which lost world champion rainbow jerseys to Australia.
Clancy, Burke, 2012 world champion Andy Tennant and Sam Harrison, who won world bronze in 2011, qualified second fastest and were unable to overturn their seeding, finishing in four minutes 00.967 seconds, to their rivals’ 3mins 56.751secs.
Australia led throughout the 16-lap final, even though Glenn O’Shea dropped out entering the final kilometre, leaving Alex Edmondson, Michael Hepburn and Alex Morgan to hold off Britain in the finale.
While there was a sense of disappointment for Clancy and co, for James and Williamson there was joy.
The 19-year-old Williamson was a late replacement for Jess Varnish, who has a back injury, while James was fulfilling second-lap duties previously occupied by the now-retired Victoria Pendleton.
Kian Emadi competed in the corresponding men’s event, the 1km time trial, placing an impressive fourth on his debut.
In an event removed from the Olympic programme following Sir Chris Hoy’s win in Athens in 2004, Emadi clocked 1:01.756, with Francois Pervis of France winning in 1:00.221.
Three more events take place on Thursday, including the women’s team pursuit.