'it Would Be Cool To Be The Fastest Of All Time'

British sprinter Matthew Richardson wants to go nan "fastest way cyclist of each time" arsenic he intends to break nan 200m flying commencement clip proceedings world grounds successful Turkey adjacent week.

Richardson, who switched his allegiance to Great Britain from Australia aft nan Paris Olympics past summer, is attempting to break nan grounds that stands astatine 9.088 seconds.

He is 1 of 3 British cyclists bidding to break records connected nan aforesaid way connected 14 August, pinch Charlie Tanfield attempting nan elite hr people and para-cyclist Will Bjergfelt taking connected nan C5 class hr milestone.

"It has a bully ringing to it, being nan fastest way discipline," Richardson said.

"There's nary other caveats to it afterwards - it's successful a level 200 [metres], you reached nan highest highest velocity imaginable connected nan track. It'd beryllium cool, if I do it, to telephone myself nan fastest of each time,"

Richardson, who was calved successful Maidstone, Kent and moved to Western Australia aged nine, won 2 metallic medals and a bronze for Australia past summertime earlier switching his nationality.

He won a trio of sprint titles astatine nan British Track Championships astatine nan commencement of nan year, and followed it pinch 2 golds connected his Great Britain debut astatine nan Nations Cup successful March, connected nan Konya way successful Turkey wherever nan caller attempts will each return place.

Richardson concisely group a caller flying 200m grounds astatine nan Olympics of 9.091 seconds, earlier Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen collapsed it minutes later.

The 26-year-old said he was "confident" going into adjacent week and that nan grounds would autumn beneath 9 seconds soon - a feat that requires speeds of much than 80km/hr.

"I'm beautiful assured that I'm successful a really bully spot to get nan occupation done," he said.

"It's a spot of a title betwixt Harrie and I to beryllium nan first personification to do it [break 9 seconds]. It's been connected my radar for nan past mates of years arsenic nan world's sewage a spot person and person to going beneath nine."

Tanfield is aiming to go nan 4th British man to break nan hr record, registering nan biggest region cycled astir a way successful 60 minutes - since nan UCI (International Cycling Union) changed nan rules successful 2014 - pursuing Alex Dowsett, Bradley Wiggins and Dan Bigham.

The existent grounds stands astatine 56.792km group by Italy's Filippo Ganna successful 2022.

"I identified this twelvemonth aft nan Games arsenic a clip erstwhile I'd person nan state to springiness it a go," Tanfield said.

"I've been preparing for this since I started training again aft nan Games, truthful there's been months of training and learning to get to this point. On nan time my extremity is to execute nan cleanable thrust for my ability, if tin do that and put it each together I'll beryllium happy."

Bjergfelt said nan C5 hr grounds of 47.569km, group successful 2014 by Italy's Andrea Tarlao, had been thing he had wanted to effort for a agelong time.

The 46-year-old believes nan advancements successful exertion complete nan past 11 years make not only breaking it achievable but besides adding considerably to nan distance.

"Aerodynamics person evolved massively, I consciousness I'll beryllium successful a very, very bully spot to guardant nan grounds connected and push it connected and make it thing large again," Bjergfelt said.

"I decidedly want to spot if I tin ace 50km, if truthful I'll beryllium nan first C5 para-cyclist to break that barrier. That would beryllium thing that's beautiful special.

"I want to put retired location that if you do person an impairment aliases a flimsy disablement there's truthful galore astonishing things that you tin do that it shouldn't clasp anyone back."

Bjergfelt made history successful 2021 arsenic nan first para-cyclist to race successful nan men's Tour of Britain and he is backmost juggling full-time activity arsenic an technologist alongside racing aft taking 2 years disconnected to attraction connected cycling.

The hr grounds is known for being 1 of nan astir gruelling tests successful cycling and Bjergfelt said nan situation is managing your effort to perfection.

"With nan hr grounds you person to beryllium really blimpish successful nan first 40-45 minutes. You still want to beryllium connected a gait to hit nan grounds but you person to beryllium really wrong yourself, because it's an effort that comes backmost to wound you," he said.

"In that past 10, 15 minutes that's wherever hopefully I'll beryllium connected gait to person surgery nan grounds and astatine nan aforesaid clip I'll still person capable successful nan vessel to really widen myself successful nan past 5 minutes."