With a maximum of just one rider from Great Britain being eligible to compete in each of the ten track events in next year’s Olympic Games, the team’s performance director Dave Brailsford has said that people shouldn’t expect the same level of domination as was seen in Beijing three years ago.
On that occasion, British riders won eight gold medals, with Chris Hoy’s three wins and Bradley Wiggins’ two leading the way. The team also took six medals of other colours, giving a total haul of 14.
Apart from the one-rider-per-country rule, Britain’s key contenders will logically be four years older than they were in Beijing, and this may make things a little tougher. In addition to that, Australia and some other teams appear to have narrowed the gap somewhat, enabling them to get their confidence back after years of British dominance on the boards.
Brailsford has stressed that the team will be in peak condition next year, firing on all its cylinders after easing back slightly after the 2008 Games. However he told BBC Radio 5 Live that team supporters needed to accept that taking 80% of the gold medals is very unlikely.
“There are 10 gold medals available in track cycling and the events that were in Beijing have been changed,” he said. “We will win fewer than eight golds, I don't think there's any doubt. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to match that achievement.”
He also underlined the fact that with each event being limited to a one rider per country rather than the two allowed three years ago, it made it impossible to equal the 14 medal haul. However he said that the team would just get on with it and that the riders would achieve as much as they could.
“We don't do medal targets, but we will be the very best that we can be with the athletes we have,” he explained. “We are positive and we will go to London and do our very best.”