Olympics

Wiggins 'in fight' for Olympic track spot

ESPN staff

November 13, 2013

Sir Bradley Wiggins plans to quit road racing at the end of next year © AP

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Sir Bradley Wiggins faces a fight in his bid to compete at a fifth Olympic Games in Rio, says British Cycling chief Ian Drake.

The 33-year-old has seven Olympic medals on the track and road to his name, four of them gold, spanning the last four Games.

"Bradley wanting to come back is great but competition is high," said Drake. "Decisions are made on performance basis and podium performances, not what has been done historically."

Wiggins won time trial gold at London 2012, following his six track medals from Beijing, Athens and Sydney. Only fellow cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and rower Sir Steve Redgrave have won more golds for Team GB, with Wiggins quitting road racing at the end of next year to try and match their personal hauls of five gold medals.

"The strength in depth of athletes that we have got now is phenomenal," Drake added. "Everyone who pulls on the Great Britain jersey now knows they are in a fight for those places. People have to earn that jersey. You only have to look at what happened in terms of selections for London 2012 with Jason Kenny and Hoy."

In the individual sprint last summer, Jason Kenny was selected over defending champion Hoy, and duly won the gold medal.

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