USA's women's team pursuit laid down a marker at the World Track Championships in Berlin after they posted the fastest qualification time on day one.

The quartet of Jennifer Valente, Chloe Dygert, Emma White and Lily Williams completed the 4000m in four minutes and 11.229 seconds, 0.642 seconds faster than Olympic champions Great Britain.

The British four of Elinor Barker, Katie Archibald, Neah Evans and Ellie Dickinson were without the firepower of four-time Olympic gold medallist Laura Kenny.

It is not yet known whether Kenny will feature in the team pursuit finals.

In the men's qualifying, Denmark posted a time more than two seconds faster than the next closest challengers New Zealand.

The British team of Charlie Tanfield, Ed Clancy, Ethan Hayter and Oliver Wood, who are also the men's team pursuit Olympic champions from the Rio Games in 2016, finished a lowly seventh.