Track cyclist Matt Richardson sets world record in the 200-meter flying start

KONYA, Turkey (AP) — British track cyclist Matt Richardson set the world record in the 200-meter flying start on Thursday by becoming the first person to break the 9-second mark.

Richardson, who won three medals for Australia at the Paris Olympics before switching allegiance to Britain, recorded a time of 8.941 seconds at the Konya Velodrome.

The 26-year-old Richardson broke Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen’s record (9.088) set in Paris last summer.

“I was basically just a passenger. I gave the bike a bit of direction and it was just steering itself almost,” Richardson said in a British Cycling press release. “I know this track can be quite a handful out of the corners so I was cautious in those spots but other than that it was just going as hard as I can.”

The England-born Richardson won two silver medals last summer — in individual sprint and keirin — as well as a bronze in team sprint.

Also, Will Bjergfelt of Britain set a world record in the C5 UCI Hour Record covering 51.471 kilometers in 60 minutes. He became the first para-cyclist to also break the 50-kilometer barrier.

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