Jason Kenny beats Callum Skinner to win Olympic cycling sprint gold

Great Britain’s Jason Kenny won his fifth Olympic gold medal by beating fellow Briton Callum Skinner in the men’s sprint final at Rio 2016.

Kenny, champion at London 2012, came out on top in the first two races to win the best-of-three final. Russian Denis Dmitriev beat Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer to take bronze.

“It is special, really special,” said Kenny, who has now won as many Olympic golds as rower Sir Steve Redgrave and fellow cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Only Sir Chris Hoy, also a cyclist, has won more but Kenny, 28, can equal his mark when he races in the keirin on Tuesday. “I’m really grateful,” he told BBC Sport.

“When we win, it feels like the team is winning and we have everyone behind us, pushing us.”

“A Great Britain one-two is amazing,” said BBC pundit Hoy. “Jason had so much in the tank. He had phenomenal power.”

Victory takes Kenny’s gold tally in Rio to two after he and Scottish rider Skinner were part of the British team that won the men’s team sprint on Thursday.

As well as winning the individual sprint title in 2012, Kenny also claimed a team sprint gold in London.

He also won the team sprint at the 2008 Games, with his solitary silver coming in the individual sprint in Beijing, when he was beaten in the final by Hoy.

The Bolton cyclist’s success also continued Britain’s track cycling dominance in Rio. They have won four of the six events entered.