Shane Sutton has backed Jason Kenny to make next February’s World Championships after the Olympic champion suffered early elimination at Manchester’s UCI Track Cycling World Cup sprint on Sunday.
Kenny, 25, failed to qualify for the men’s individual sprint yesterday morning, in the same event in which he stormed to gold at London 2012.
Kenny was also part of the triumphant three-man Olympic sprint team, but fears that his disappointing display this weekend could cost him a place at the World Championships in Colombia were batted away by British track cycling head coach Sutton.
“What he’s got in the bank, he should be OK,” Australian Sutton said of Kenny’s current points tally, with the next World Cup meet in Aguascalientes, Mexico in December. The third and final meet is in January.
“We need to go away and get him up the gears and into the bike race because he is faster than anybody on his day.”
Kenny must finish in the top 30 of the World Cup rankings after the three events if he is to qualify for the World Championships and defend his keirin title.
Team Sky performance director Sir Dave Brailsford has said that he would not hesitate to drop Kenny for the third and final World Cup event if he does not improve on his Manchester result next month.
“You have to earn your place on merit [in the World Cup team] – you don’t get a free ride,” said Sir Dave.
“Reputations don’t matter. You have to earn your place and so if he has got to go and earn his place that is for a reason.
“He has to get his head down and graft.”
Image courtesy of UCI Channel via YouTube, with thanks.
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