By Martyn Herman
TOKYO (Reuters) – Germany dethroned Britain’s women as queens of the Olympic track team pursuit in sensational fashion with an emphatic victory in the final in yet another world record.
The German quartet of Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Mieke Kroeger almost caught Britain in the 4km final at the Izu Velodrome, finishing in 4:04.242.
Britain had won the two previous golds in the discipline introduced to the women’s track programme at Beijing in 2008.
An incredible afternoon of action had seen Britain, led by four-time Olympic track champion Laura Kenny, reclaim the world record that Germany had obliterated in Monday’s qualifiers.
But Germany broke the world record again shortly afterwards and then went even faster in the final.
The United States took the bronze medal.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)