• UCI Track World Championships

Trott and Co beaten for first time in four years

Great Britain's women will meet Canada in the team pursuit semi-finals on Thursday © Getty Images

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Great Britain's women were beaten in the team pursuit for the first time in more than four years in qualifying on the opening day of the Track World Championships.

Bidding for a fifth successive world title in the discipline, Britain fielded the same quartet which won the 2014 gold medal in Cali 12 months ago for the event which took place in Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines, near Paris.

Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell clocked four minutes 18.207 seconds to qualify for Thursday's semi-final in second place, behind Australia.

Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Amy Cure and Melissa Hoskins finished in four minutes 18.135s. Britain will meet third-fastest qualifiers Canada in the last four for a place in the final, which also takes place on day two. Australia will face fourth-fastest qualifiers New Zealand in the second semi-final.

Britain's men, who were a lowly eighth in Colombia last year, were also second in qualifying to advance to the semi-finals. Seven teams broke the four-minute barrier, with Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Owain Doull and Andy Tennant clocking three minutes 57.716s, behind New Zealand, who clocked three minutes 56.421s.

Britain will meet Germany in the semi-finals, with New Zealand up against Switzerland. If Britain's men were the surprise last year, Australia were in 2015, clocking three minutes 58.900s to place fifth. The defending champions can win bronze at best.

Jess Varnish and Victoria Williamson were eighth in the two-lap, two-women team sprint, missing out on a medal ride.

Britain's men were also eliminated in team sprint qualifying, clocking 43.808s to place eighth in the three-man, three-lap event. Philip Hindes was the seventh fastest over the first lap, and Jason Kenny, his fellow Olympic champion, propelled Britain into fourth.

However, Callum Skinner was unable to keep pace with Kenny as Britain faded badly to miss out on a medal ride.

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