Frustration as Hayter slip hands Australia gold in old rivals' 'classic fightout'

GB's 1,000th medalis silver as pursuiters crack on last lap and women’s team win bronze

- Jeremy Whittle

Great Britain's track cyclists secured Team GB's 1,000th Olympic medal in sporting competition as Australia held on to a hair's-breadth advantage to win gold in the men's team pursuit.

In a final that was almost too close to call, Ethan Hayter, Dan Bigham, Charlie Tanfield and Ethan Vernon had to settle for silver after Hayter slipped off his saddle on the last lap.

As the British quartet made one final effort with the 4,000m race reaching its conclusion, Hayter, under intense pressure, slid too far forward and ended up almost crashing. "I just really gave too much," he said. "My whole body went weak and I really struggled to hold myself on the bike."

It was a final that could have gone either way as Australia entered the final kilometre with a narrow lead.

"This is the nature of teampursuiting at this level," Bigham said.

"It's on a knife-edge at the back end. You're trying to get three guys over the line absolutely empty, completely cooked. The breaking point has to be somewhere and you saw it.

"It was one of the classic GBAussie fightouts that have been a staple of the Olympics. Hayter found the limit. That limit was the end of the saddle and that was the end of our run.