Wiggins Breaks Olympic Record

British cyclist Bradley Wiggins set a new Olympic record in qualifying for the men's individual pursuit in Athens today.

The Londoner got the British cycling track team's campaign off to the perfect start by knocking just over three seconds off the previous Olympic best of four minutes and 18.169 seconds.

Wiggins, the 2003 world champion, completed the 4,000m in four minutes and 15.165 seconds - qualifying for the first round in style with the fifth-fastest time in history.

And Wiggin's teammate Rob Hayles recorded the second fastest time of the day, riding the four kilometres in four minutes and 17.930 seconds.

However, that was only the fourth quickest time of the early session. Spain's Sergi Escobar was next quickest after Wiggins, in 4:16.862.

Australian Brad McGee came third with a time of 4:17.510.

Wiggins will take on France's Fabien Sanchez, who completed the 16 laps in 4:20.606, in the first round later today, while Hayles will meet Ukrainian Volodymyr Dyudya, fifth fastest in 4:18.169.

Britain's Chris Boardman is the only athlete in history to have bettered Wiggins' time over this distance.