If Serena Williams' recent performances are anything to go by then any cycling rivals at the European Championships need to watch out for Laura Kenny. Back in July Williams reached the Wimbledon final just ten months after giving birth to her first child and now new mum Kenny is also back at the elite level. She and husband Jason Kenny returned to competitive action earlier this year after the birth of their son Albie and now Team GB’s most successful female Olympian is back at a major Games. Laura Kenny will spearhead the Great Britain Cycling Team in Glasgow as she looks to add to her tally of ten European Championship titles at the multi-sport event. The 26-year-old won team pursuit gold with Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker at the Rio Olympics two years ago and is confident the foursome can bring success once again “I think the team is in good shape,” said the seven-time world champion. “We have been doing a few efforts and I was just saying then that I felt like the old band was back together again. “It just felt really smooth, we felt like we were connecting even though we have all been doing completely different things. “If we can do a time even nearly close to what we qualified in at the world’s I think that would be good because we are so early in the season.
“I am excited to see what we can do together. I’m also excited because it is in Glasgow, hopefully they will be cheering us on and help us bring it home.” On her return to competitive action in March, Kenny helped Great Britain to a silver medal in the women’s team pursuit at the Track Cycling World Championships in Apeldoorn. Husband Jason won silver in the men’s team sprint at the same event and both are included in a star-studded team for the European Championships that features 13 Olympic medallists. “I am really excited,” added the new mum. “I competed at the world’s but that was less than ideal. “I wasn’t really ready for it but the team needed me, and I am part of the team so I thought ‘They need me and I will put my hand up and say I will go. “I didn’t have the form that I even nearly wanted but I am glad I went because it just proved to myself that I could get back into the team and I could be part of it again. “I am not going to turn around say ‘I have got Rio form’, because it took me two years to get that form. I think I am going well and I don’t want to talk too soon, but I feel good.” This is the first time, athletics, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, rowing, triathlon and a new team golf event will run their European Championships at the same time – starting on August 2.
Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty headlines the British Swimming team looking to repeat their success at the same competition in London two years ago. Peaty will race in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and 4x100m medley relay with Siobhan Marie O'Connor (200m medley) and Aimee Wilmott (400m medley) also in medal contention.
Jack Laugher will be one to watch in the diving while Max Whitlock is amongst a host of Commonwealth Games champions lining up for Britain in the gymnastics. Hurdler Dai Greene has been named as captain of a huge 102-strong British Athletics team heading to Glasgow including Dina Asher-Smith, Eilidh Doyle and Anyika Onuora. Double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee is named in the British squad for the triathlon while Dani Rowe and Mark Cavendish will compete for the European road race crown. Sportsbeat 2018