King Kenny crushes Bauge as sprint star scoops yet another cycling gold for Team GB
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Great Britain's Jason Kenny won a stunning Olympic gold in the men's sprint at the London 2012 velodrome, fully justifying his selection ahead of 2008 champion Sir Chris Hoy with his third Games gold.
Kenny's previous two Olympic gold medals came in the team sprint alongside Hoy, but now the 24-year-old from Bolton is an Olympic individual champion after a sensational 2-0 final victory over three-time world champion Gregory Bauge of France.
King Kenny: The Brit was too good for Gregory Bauge
The Briton qualified quickest for the three-day competition on Saturday and outpaced Bauge in the first of their best-of-three contest.
Kenny then led out the Frenchman and just had too much speed for his opponent to send the velodrome into raptures.
Sealed with a kiss: Kenny is presented with his gold medal
It was Britain's fifth gold from seven medal events, with the potential for further success on Tuesday's final day of racing.
Australia's Shane Perkins claimed bronze with a 2-0 defeat of Trinidad's Njisane Nicholas Phillip.
Eyes on the prize: Kenny focuses on Bauge before the start of the first race
The one rider per nation rule introduced by the International Cycling Union and International Olympic Committee weakened the field and saw Kenny selected ahead of Hoy.
But a Kenny versus Bauge final was befitting of the blue riband event.
Neck and neck: Kenny stalks Bauge before taking him on on the outside
Kenny finished second to Hoy in Beijing and to Bauge at April's Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne.
The Briton was awarded the 2011 world title after Bauge was stripped of the rainbow jersey for an anti-doping infringement.
On the line: Kenny pips Bauge to the post
Both men made serene progress to the final, with Kenny beating Phillip 2-0 in his best-of-three semi-final and Bauge seeing off Perkins in the other last-four tie.
Bauge was drawn on the inside for the first final contest, which meant he had to go in front of Kenny, turning to watch his opponent.
Spirit of the Games: Kenny and Bauge embrace after the second race
Kenny weaved up and down the banking to tease Bauge and then used the slope to his advantage to speed past his rival and win by a wheel's length and go 1-0 up.
The draw then put Kenny in front, but the Briton was unflustered and had too much speed for his opponent as he powered to a supreme victory.
Kenny told BBC2: 'It's amazing, I hadn't even thought about it until we got into that last ride and then it suddenly dawned on me, the battle I had just to get here with Chris, knowing that you've got someone on the sideline that definitely wouldn't give that second sprint away so I was thinking "I'd better not mess this one up".
Job done: Kenny embraces his coach before heading over to the crowd
'I was really pleased just to deliver for the team.'
On Bauge, he added: 'We were really close once again and it slightly went the other way at the worlds last year and the year before, he's been the slightly faster rider and I've been racing to come down to that.
'I like racing against Bauge he's a nice fast rider so it's always quite exciting racing.'
Great Brit: Kenny picks up his third Olympic gold
Victoria Pendleton's Olympic odyssey was set to continue into the final day of the London 2012 track programme after the Briton advanced to the semi-finals of the women's sprint.
Defending champion and six-time world sprint champion Pendleton advanced with a 2-0 best-of-three quarter-final win over Olga Panarina of Belarus.
The 31-year-old from Stotfold was seeking a third gold to become Britain's most successful female Olympian and is set to retire after Tuesday's racing.
Queen Victoria: Pendleton is going for yet another gold
Friday's victory in the keirin saw Pendleton move level with athlete Kelly Holmes, swimmer Rebecca Adlington and sailors Shirley Robertson, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb on two Olympic gold medals.
Pendleton was a comfortable winner of the first bout with Panarina and a decider was not required as the Briton won the second contest by 10 metres, showing her blistering form.
It has been an eventful competition thus far for Pendleton, who together with Jess Varnish set a world record in the team sprint before the pair were relegated by officials for a takeover infringement.
JASON KENNY FACTFILE
1988: Born Bolton, March 23.
2006: Wins three gold medals at Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Belgium, in keirin, sprint and team sprint.
2007: Takes two bronze medals at under-23 European Track Championships in team sprint and sprint.
2008: March - Named in British squad for Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester but does not ride.
August 15 - Wins Olympic gold in team sprint in Beijing along with Jamie Staff and Chris Hoy.
August 19 - Silver behind Hoy in sprint final as his team-mate wins a third gold of the Beijing Games.
November - Wins Track World Cup gold in the sprint in Manchester, silver in keirin and gold in team sprint (with Staff and Ross Edgar).
December 31 - Made MBE in Queen's New Year Honours.
2009: February 13 - Gold in team sprint at Track World Cup in Copenhagen with Staff and Hoy.
March - Silver in team sprint at Track Cycling World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland with Staff and Matt Crampton.
November - Silver in team sprint and bronze in sprint at Track World Cup in Manchester.
2010: March 24 - Bronze in team sprint (with Hoy and Edgar) at Track Cycling World Championships in Copenhagen.
October - Wins keirin gold, sprint silver and team sprint bronze at European Track Championships in Pruszkow, Poland.
December - Gold in team sprint (with Hoy and Crampton) and silver in sprint at Track World Cup in Melbourne.
2011: February - Sprint silver and team sprint bronze at Track World Cup in Manchester.
March - Second to Gregory Bauge in the sprint at Track Cycling World Championships, Apeldoorn, Holland, in a result later updated to gold following an anti-doping violation by the Frenchman. Also takes bronze in team sprint.
2012: January 6 - Bauge is stripped of sprint gold, handing Kenny his first world champion's rainbow jersey.
February - In only competition as world sprint champion, finishes fifth. Claims bronze in team sprint with Edgar and Hoy.
April 7 - Beats Hoy on way to sprint final against Bauge, in a re-run of 2011 final. Relegated in the second of the best of three series, handing Frenchman the title.
June 13 - Named in London 2012 Olympic team.
August 2 - Wins second Olympic gold in team sprint in London with Hoy and Philip Hindes.
August 6 - Wins individual Olympic sprint gold, beating Bauge in the final.
2006: Wins three gold medals at Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Belgium, in keirin, sprint and team sprint.
2007: Takes two bronze medals at under-23 European Track Championships in team sprint and sprint.
2008: March - Named in British squad for Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester but does not ride.
August 15 - Wins Olympic gold in team sprint in Beijing along with Jamie Staff and Chris Hoy.
August 19 - Silver behind Hoy in sprint final as his team-mate wins a third gold of the Beijing Games.
November - Wins Track World Cup gold in the sprint in Manchester, silver in keirin and gold in team sprint (with Staff and Ross Edgar).
December 31 - Made MBE in Queen's New Year Honours.
2009: February 13 - Gold in team sprint at Track World Cup in Copenhagen with Staff and Hoy.
March - Silver in team sprint at Track Cycling World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland with Staff and Matt Crampton.
November - Silver in team sprint and bronze in sprint at Track World Cup in Manchester.
2010: March 24 - Bronze in team sprint (with Hoy and Edgar) at Track Cycling World Championships in Copenhagen.
October - Wins keirin gold, sprint silver and team sprint bronze at European Track Championships in Pruszkow, Poland.
December - Gold in team sprint (with Hoy and Crampton) and silver in sprint at Track World Cup in Melbourne.
2011: February - Sprint silver and team sprint bronze at Track World Cup in Manchester.
March - Second to Gregory Bauge in the sprint at Track Cycling World Championships, Apeldoorn, Holland, in a result later updated to gold following an anti-doping violation by the Frenchman. Also takes bronze in team sprint.
2012: January 6 - Bauge is stripped of sprint gold, handing Kenny his first world champion's rainbow jersey.
February - In only competition as world sprint champion, finishes fifth. Claims bronze in team sprint with Edgar and Hoy.
April 7 - Beats Hoy on way to sprint final against Bauge, in a re-run of 2011 final. Relegated in the second of the best of three series, handing Frenchman the title.
June 13 - Named in London 2012 Olympic team.
August 2 - Wins second Olympic gold in team sprint in London with Hoy and Philip Hindes.
August 6 - Wins individual Olympic sprint gold, beating Bauge in the final.
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