The individual pursuit is a
track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles.
History
Track cycling has been around since at least 1870. When track cycling was in its infancy, it ...
event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track.
It is held at over for men and for women. The riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance in the fastest time. They ride on the pursuit line at the bottom of the track to find the fastest line, with each rider trying to catch the other who started on the other side. If the catch is achieved, the successful pursuer is the winner. However, they can continue the rest of the race distance to set the fastest time in a qualifying race or a record in a final.
Qualification and race format
The first round of the competition at major events is the qualifying round. This still involves two riders on the track at the same time but they are not directly competing against each other but attempting to set the fastest time to progress in the competition. In the Olympic Games the top riders progress into knock out rounds, with the top two surviving into the Gold and Silver medal race and next two into the Bronze Medal race. In the World Championships or World Cup Classic events, the top two riders from the qualifying round progress directly to the Gold and Silver medal race while the third and fourth qualifiers fight it out for Bronze.
, the
IOC "approved a
UCI UCI most commonly refers to:
* University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States
* Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling
UCI may also refer to:
* Uganda Cancer I ...
recommendation to restructure track events at the 2012 Games in London, including the abandonment of individual pursuit events."
Notable individual pursuiters
Men
The last men's Olympic champion in this event was Great Britain's
Bradley Wiggins. , the men's world champion is Italy's
Filippo Ganna.
*
Roger Rivière (
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
) (three time world professional champion, 1957-1959)
*
Hugh Porter
Hugh William Porter MBE (born Wolverhampton, England, 27 January 1940) is one of Britain's greatest former professional cyclists, winning four world titles in the individual pursuit - more than any other rider - as well as a Commonwealth ...
(
UK) (four time world 5 km professional champion)
*
Graeme Obree (twice world champion and set a
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book '' Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizati ...
twice)
*
Chris Boardman (Olympic champion 1992 and world champion 1994 and 1996)
*
Sir Bradley Wiggins (twice Olympic champion and three time world champion, later
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consist ...
winner)
*
Taylor Phinney (double world champion)
*
Jack Bobridge (set 4 km world record of 4 mins 10.53 seconds in 2011)
*
Lasse Norman Hansen
Lasse Norman Hansen (born 11 February 1992) is a Danish professional road and track racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . During his track cycling career, he has won five medals (including two golds) at the Summer Olympic Games ...
(4 km olympic record)
*
Ashton Lambie (first to ride a sub-4 minute 4 kilometer pursuit with a 3 min 59.93 second time on August 18, 2021)
*
Filippo Ganna (4 km world record with 3 min 59.636 seconds at the 2022 World Championship in Paris, 24 October 2022)
Women
The last women's Olympic champion in this event was Great Britain's
Rebecca Romero. , the women's world champion in this event is American
Chloé Dygert.
*
Beryl Burton (five time world champion)
*
Tamara Garkushina
Tamara Pavlovna Garkushina (russian: Тамара Павловна Гаркушина; born 1 February 1946) is a retired Russian track cyclist who won six world titles in the 3 km individual pursuit, in 1967 and 1970–1974. She also won more ...
(six time world champion)
*
Rebecca Twigg (six time world champion)
*
Jeannie Longo (three time world champion)
*
Leontien van Moorsel (Olympic and four time world champion)
*
Sarah Ulmer (Olympic and world champion)
*
Sarah Hammer
Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a p ...
(five time world champion)
*
Rebecca Romero (Olympic and world champion)
*
Chloé Dygert (three time world champion and world record holder)
See also
*
World record progression – Men's individual pursuit
*
World record progression – Women's individual pursuit
*
Team pursuit
*
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles.
History
Track cycling has been around since at least 1870. When track cycling was in its infancy, it ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Individual pursuit
Events in track cycling