World record: German trio wins gold in the team sprint

Golden start to the World Championships in track cycling

Emma Hinze clenched her fist, Lea Sophie Friedrich let out a cry of joy. The German team sprinters got the German team off to a golden start at the Super World Championships in Glasgow with a world record performance.

Hinze, Friedrich and Pauline Grabosch raced to their fourth World Championship gold in a row on the wooden oval in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on Thursday, catapulting themselves into the role of favourites for next year's Olympic Games in Paris. Franziska Brauße rounded off the successful German start to the multi-event with silver in the 3000 metre single pursuit.

China takes bronze

The German women's track cycling team was once again reliable - especially the sprinters. In a heart-stopping final, Hinze and Co. triumphed in 45.848 seconds against hosts Great Britain, who were beaten by 75 hundredths of a second. With their fabulous time, they bettered their own record from the previous year. China took bronze in the small final against the Netherlands.

It was a close duel throughout the day. Great Britain was still four tenths of a second ahead in qualifying, but then the German trio struck back. In the final, they were not to be denied victory.

This marks the start of the gold medal hunt for the successful sprinters. For Friedrich, it was the eighth gold medal of her career, while Hinze now has seven titles. The World Championship record of Kristina Vogel, who has been paralysed since her training accident in 2018, is beginning to falter. Further medal opportunities await in the 500 metres, sprint and keirin.

Klein from Erfurt finishes in sixth place

Brauße also remains a guarantee of success, even if it was not enough to defend her title in the single pursuit. The 24-year-old from Eningen had no chance in the 3000 metres final against the American world record holder Chloe Dygert, who even caught up with her German rival with a time of 3:17.926 minutes and made a successful return after an injury break. For Brauße, who won Olympic gold with the team in Tokyo in 2021, it was her fourth individual world championship medal in the single pursuit in a row.

Lisa Klein from Erfurt finished sixth in 3:25.728, Laura Süßemilch (3:31.278) was 14th, which gives hope for the team pursuit.

Super Cycling World Championship until 13 August

The track cyclists kicked off the first Super World Championships with around 8,000 athletes in 13 disciplines. The World Championship titles in road cycling, mountain biking and BMX will also be awarded until 13 August. But the indoor cycling, trials and downhill competitions, which are less in the centre of attention, will also have their own stage.

The UCI wants to organise the World Cycling Games with all its disciplines every four years. Only cyclo-cross, traditionally a winter discipline, is missing from the programme. The highlight of the event is the men's world championship road race on Sunday.

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