31 July 2021

Jason Kenny and Laura Kenny have chance to make Olympic history in Tokyo

31 July 2021

Olympic history beckons in the Kenny household over the next week as husband and wife Jason and Laura chase further gold.

Jason Kenny goes into the Tokyo Games alongside Sir Chris Hoy with the most gold medals for a British Olympian and one behind another fellow cyclist, Sir Bradley Wiggins, in total medals.

Among British women, Laura already has the most golds ever and she is two medals behind the all-time medal record. Here, the PA news agency looks at the achievements potentially awaiting the pair in Tokyo.

Jason Kenny

Jason Kenny matches Sir Chris Hoy as Britain’s most successful Olympians (PA graphic) (PA Graphics)

Three previous Olympics have brought six gold medals and one silver for Jason Kenny to put his name right at the top of Britain’s list of most decorated Olympians.

Hoy managed the exact same tally between 2000 and 2012, with the pair riding together in the team sprint to win gold in 2008 and 2012.

Kenny also won the individual sprint in London, upgrading his silver behind Hoy four years previously, and went one better at Rio 2016 by adding the keirin for a golden treble.

Sir Chris Hoy, left, and Jason Kenny were team-mates at Beijing 2008 (John Giles/PA) (PA Archive)

Another gold would see him clear of Hoy on seven, while a medal of any colour would break the tie and would match Wiggins’ total of eight.

The latter won five golds – individual pursuit in 2004 and 2008 and team pursuit in 2008 and 2012 on the track, as well as the road time trial in London. He added one silver, in the 2004 team pursuit, as well as bronze in that event in 2000 and the madison in 2004.

Laura Kenny

Laura Kenny has more Olympic gold medals than any other British woman (PA graphic) (PA Graphics)

The women’s team pursuit begins on the opening day of track competition on Monday, providing Laura Kenny with an early opportunity to claim an unprecedented fifth gold medal by a British female Olympian.

She has been part of the winning team in that event at each of the last two Games, as well as winning the omnium on each occasion. Victory in either event – or the madison – would extend her lead and make her the first British woman to win gold at three separate Olympics, after Jade Jones, Charlotte Dujardin and Helen Glover all missed out.

Laura Kenny, left, is a two-time team pursuit champion (John Walton/PA) (PA Archive)

Dujardin’s double bronze in recent days saw the equestrian star set a new record of six total medals for a British woman, moving ahead of rower Katherine Grainger and tennis player Kitty McKane Godfree.

Kenny can move ahead of Dujardin with two medals of any colour – her superior gold tally breaking the tie – or clear on seven medals should she reach the podium in all three of her events.

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