Pursuit team smash record

Bradley Wiggins is on course for his second gold medal of the Beijing Olympics after he and his fellow team pursuiters advanced to the final by breaking their own world record.

Wiggins, winner of the individual pursuit on Saturday, Paul Manning, Ed Clancy and Geraint Thomas caught their Russian opponents with a kilometre to go in the 4000m event.

Their time, three minutes, 55.205 seconds was over a second quicker than their previous low of 3:56.322 and sets them up for a race against a quickly improving Danish team for the gold.

Australia, who beat the British quartet in the Athens final, had to settle for a meeting with New Zealand in the bronze medal final.

Londoner Wiggins, 28, is aiming to win three golds and will also go in the Madison, when he will team up with four-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish.