British Cycling team finish on a podium high at World Championships

Jody Cundy welcomed his 15th world champion’s rainbow jersey as Great Britain’s para-cyclists revelled in a hat-trick of gold medals on the final day in Rio.

Two years after becoming Paralympic champion for the third and fourth occasions Cundy once again enjoyed the Brazilian boards, storming to top spot in the mixed team sprint.

But he was not alone in his endeavours as Louis Rolfe and Jon-Allan Butterworth once again joined him for the final against China – a repeat of the Rio 2016 Paralympic showdown.

That was one of three gold medals that helped bring the curtain down on a successful Para-cycling Track World Championships for the British Cycling team, with Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott followed by Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham in taking their places atop the podium.

The 39-year-old Cundy, who first stood on the Paralympic podium with two titles at Beijing 2008, had already taken the gold trail in the opening night’s kilo time trial.

But with Rolfe and Butterworth for company the trio proved unstoppable right from qualifying, with no nation able to beat the 50.186 seconds as a marker was laid down.

That was despite only registering the eighth quickest fast lap, once again showing their speed when it mattered most in the final to add further gold medals to their respective collections.

Indeed the smiles that washed over their faces even before crossing the line painted its own picture, taking in an experience comparable to the very first jersey being claimed.

The sprint trio were not the only ones celebrating repeat performances as the feeling of déjà vu graced Thornhill and Scott’s last day at the Championships.

On Saturday a world record and gold medal performance had come their way and Sunday was no different, this time storming to glory in the women’s B 200m sprint.

Five new world records were set in the competition with Thornhill and Scott, Paralympic champions from Rio 2016, responsible for nearly half of them.

Backing up their time trial and individual pursuit success, stopping the clock in a time of 10.891s in qualification paved the way for more as they reached the gold-medal race.

And in the race for the medals they needed just two of the three heats to add another world champions’ jersey to the collection, overcoming Australia’s Jessica Gallagher and Madison Janssen.

The men’s final followed in similar fashion as Fachie – as 12-time world champion – joined Rotherham in beating the Netherlands’ Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos.

Once again this was reward for some superb racing in the qualification, the only pair to stop the clock in less than ten seconds as their 9.765s effort was recorded as the fastest at sea level.

But they were not alone on the men’s B 200m sprint podium, joined by familiar faces in James Ball and Peter Mitchell in bronze as the Great Britain Cycling Team rounded out the World Championships with another medal.

The pair had crossed the line second fastest in qualification before succumbing in the last four, picking themselves up admirably to down Brad Henderson and Thomas Clarke from Australia, also without the need for a deciding race.

That took Great Britain’s overall medal tally close to 20 in Rio, with more than half gold as a whole host of world titles and rainbow jerseys prepare to return to the shores.