Kenny feels 18 again as he targets Tokyo Games

Six-time Olympic cycling champion Jason Kenny (left) and wife, four-time Olympic cycling champion Laura Trott, at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 8, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON • Six-time Olympic cycling champion Jason Kenny plans to race at the Tokyo 2020 Games after previously contemplating retirement.

The 29-year-old won three gold medals at last year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics to take his tally to six golds and one silver, level with the British record holder and former team-mate Chris Hoy.

Kenny married four-time Olympic cycling champion Laura Trott last September and the couple had their first child, Albert, last month. And, after coming close to quitting racing, the Briton is ready to commit to his fourth Olympics and will make his return to racing at the Revolution Series event in Manchester on Jan 6.

"To be honest, after Rio, I'd pretty much made my decision to walk away from cycling," he said.

"But after taking a year out, getting married and having our first child, I felt refreshed. Before I knew it, I was training again.

"I feel like I'm 18 and starting all over again. Competing at Revolution in January will be the first step on the path to Tokyo."

His break is the first time he has had an extended sabbatical since emerging at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he won his first gold in the team sprint.

Stephen Park, the British Cycling performance director, said: "The fact that he is now targeting a fourth Games is excellent news not just for him as an individual, but for the entire team."

THE GUARDIAN

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 28, 2017, with the headline Kenny feels 18 again as he targets Tokyo Games. Subscribe