Laura Trott won her seventh career world title in the omnium at the Track World Championships yesterday and could, she claimed, match the 11 titles taken by Sir Chris Hoy as soon as next year when the world championships are hosted by Hong Kong.
“I might be able to do four in one go,” the 2012 double Olympic champion, said, “because I could do the omnium, the team pursuit, the points race and the scratch.”
It was, arguably, her championships. The glitz belonged to Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins but as she cycled, draped in the union flag, past the fans, the warmth of the relationship between the 23-year-old and the public was tangible. She feeds off their fervour and thrives in the cauldron of expectation.
At the Lee Valley VeloPark Trott had battled against the odds to take gold in the scratch race on Thursday and dispel the gloom that had settled over the velodrome after the women’s sprint team had failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
“She started the momentum with that cheeky little smile,” said Shane Sutton, British Cycling’s technical director. “Her unmatched ability to go out and continually perform is always a big bonus. “If you look at our teams historically we’ve had big leaders and although she’s only diminutive she is one of our big leaders and she’s raised the bar. When she won that scratch race everyone’s belief kicked in. We can’t praise her enough, she gets the job done, she’s a true professional and in the points race she was on another level.
Advertisement
“The one thing we do know is that Trotty will not be complacent. You’re not that consistent for that long without having greatness bestowed upon you and she has.”
One of the many remarkable traits in Trott is that she refuses to allow disappointment to fester. The elimination race in the omnium is her trademark event and one she has single-handedly popularised for the British public. On Saturday she had finished second in the event and could barely believe it.
“I rode stupidly,” she said. “[I was] not angry, just disappointed. The elimination race is my thing. I really enjoy that event. I felt like the wind had been taken out of my sails a little bit.”
Her response was to come out fighting for yesterday’s three events and, significantly, dominate the points race, winning the first sprint, as ordered to by her coach, so that she could enjoy the remainder knowing she was in control in a discipline that is supposed to be her weakest.
After the women’s team pursuit quartet had collapsed dramatically earlier in the competition, again Trott emerged with energy to lead them to a stylish bronze that proved the mistake had been but a blip.
Advertisement
Trott has ambitions to be become Britain’s most decorated Olympian and at 23 already has two Olympic titles to add to her seven world championships.
“I love the number seven — I can retire happy now,” she laughed. But she won’t retire for some years yet.