Old hands hail dynamic newcomer

British cyclists are expected to win a slew of gold medals in Beijing but the team sprint was not widely predicted to be among them because it would mean defeating a formidable French team.

"To compete with the French, we knew we'd have to change something somewhere and Jason Kenny is such an amazing young talent," Staff said.

"We've done a bunch of trials since the worlds and he pretty much earned his spot," he added.

Staff, 35, and Hoy, 32, had been on the losing side at the World Championships in March when the French three of Gregory Bauge, Arnaud Tournant and Kevin Sireau beat them by over half a second.

Making up that time seemed a tall order until Lancastrian Kenny was tried out in the number two slot instead of Ross Edgar behind Staff but ahead of Hoy.

And the benefits were there for all to see at the Laoshan Velodrome in west Beijing as the British trio became the first team ever to dip under the 43-second barrier on a 250 metres track. That was unofficial world record in an event which is raced over three laps regardless of the length of the track.

The United States were beaten in the first round, setting up a meeting with the French in the final. Staff, Kenny and Hoy were not as fast as they had been but they were still quick enough to win by over half a second.

The decision to omit Edgar - a gold-medallist in the event with fellow Scots Hoy and Craig MacLean at the Commonwealth Games - was a risk.

Kenny has little experience of riding at a major championships and he was regarded as the fourth man after beating MacLean, Jason Queally and fellow rising star Matt Crampton to a place in the squad.