Laura Kenny has become the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history after her sensational performance with Katie Archibald in the women’s track final.
Kenny surpassed Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel to take the title, as the Team GB cyclist achieved her fifth career Olympic gold.
“It’s unbelievable,” Kenny told the BBC of her achievement. “I am just so glad. I have never wanted to win a race so badly in my life. It was giving me fears like never before. But we went and did it.”
But she added that it wasn’t about the records. In regards to Team GB, Kenny now has the same number of Olympic medals as British equestrian Charlotte Dujardin but has two more golds. She is also the first British woman to win gold at three Olympics.
“I feel like we’re just making up these records as we go along!” Kenny said. “It’s not about the records, it’s about the race and I’m just so happy we won the bike race.”
People on Twitter sent their congratulatory messages to Kenny on winning gold and reaching an incredible milestone.
🙌 Laura Kenny 🙌
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 6, 2021
1️⃣ Most successful female cyclist of all time
🏅 Along with Charlotte Dujardin, the most decorated British female Olympian
🥇🥇🥇 First British woman to win gold at three successive Olympic games
📺 Cycling on the BBC: https://t.co/mwIz9x3F7L#bbcolympics pic.twitter.com/COdH2UEzJx
There's very little better in life than watching Laura Kenny win a gold. #Olympics
— Chris Addison💙 (@mrchrisaddison) August 6, 2021
#LauraKenny Congratulations Laura on amazing success in the #Olympics You have done the UK so proud in what you have achieved. Well done 👏🙌
— Jackie Evans (@Jacquel31802344) August 6, 2021
Anyone else glad to see Laura Kenny win another gold/medal this morning and in doing so becoming the best and most successful British female in Olympic history. Fantastic achievement. Deserved success. Really pleased for her.
— Maynard Hanna (@maynard_hanna) August 6, 2021
Laura Kenny was born with a collapsed lung and was later diagnosed with asthma. She initially took up trampolining but had to quit because she couldnt breathe properly
— steve (@Buster_H1) August 6, 2021
Later she took to cycling
Today, she became the most decorated women's cyclist in Olympics history#Olympics
Laura Kenny is an Olympic Games legend!
— Mark Marriott (@MarkMarriott87) August 6, 2021
5 🥇 medals.
1 🥈 medal.
3 separate disciplines.
The first British woman in history to win gold medals at three consecutive games.
What an amazing inspiration she is to everbody!#CyclingTrack #Tokyo2020 #Olympics
She’s actually amazing #Olympics https://t.co/dLHNHt03eH
— Lucy (@lucydemi17) August 6, 2021
Many also congratulated both Kenny and Archibald on their gold medal win.
Fantastic gold 🥇 for Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny in the madison! Absolute world domination!#CyclingTrack#TeamGB#Tokyo2020 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/fZK9WQISd8
— Peter Spencer (@Peterbixx) August 6, 2021
Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald giving an absolute masterclass in the Madison! Totally brilliant! #Olympics #CyclingTrack
— Gibbo2 💙🔸🇪🇺🇬🇧🌈 (@Lynn_GT) August 6, 2021
LAURA KENNY AND KATIE ARCHIBALD DID IT
— Rajiv Guha (@rajiv_guha) August 6, 2021
Former Olympic champion and Team GB track cyclist Chis Hoy congratulated the pair on their excellent race.
Wonderful scenes!! Wish I was there to see it live but this is the second best place to be.. Huge congratulations to @LauraKenny31 and @_katiearchibald for an utterly dominant performance 👏🏻👏🏻🥇🥇 pic.twitter.com/gZ091uzuki
— Chris Hoy (@chrishoy) August 6, 2021
BBC Sports presenter Gabby Logan also tweeted a lovely message to congratulate Kenny and Archibald on their achievement.
Incredible @LauraKenny31 for three Olympics now she’s taken gold - first British women ever. And bravo @_katiearchibald 🙌🙌 https://t.co/DeHDu0Ja4n
— Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan) August 6, 2021
Kenny and Archibald previously won gold together at the World Cup in London in December 2018 and European silver in October 2019.
They were also part of the team pursuit squad that won silver on Tuesday, defeated by a strong German team who broke the world record twice during competition.
Archibald said: “I’ve been dreaming about this. I’ve never wanted something so much and I’ve never been so nervous. But we’ve been clinical in our approach.
“I’d like to thank our coach Monica (Greenwood). None of this would have happened without Monica. She overhauled our approach to this event.”
Kenny and Archibald took home the gold medal after a strong performance, winning 10 of the 12 sprints, as well as picking up the double points for the last lap that solidified their victory.
Incredibly, the pair were able to gain a lap on the field to finish with 78 points, more than double the points of second-placed Denmark (35).
As Kenny has made Olympic history, here is a list of all her six gold medal wins:
- Team Pursuit – London 2012
- Omnium – London 2012
- Team Pursuit – Rio 2016
- Omnium – Rio 2016
- Madison – Tokyo 2020
