Tearful Clancy 'overwhelmed' by team pursuit gold

Ed Clancy was overwhelmed by a third successive Olympic team pursuit gold medal, just months after a back injury which left him fearing for his career.

The 31-year-old Yorkshireman had surgery last December after sustaining a back problem picking up his training bag at the Manchester Velodrome.

Clancy returned for the Track World Championships in March at less than full throttle but still powered through to a third Olympic gold following wins in the same event at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Clancy celebrates crossing the line as the Great Britain team win gold in the Men's Team Pursuit Credit: Press Association

"I've never been so emotional crossing the line. I was in tears," saidClancy, a key figure in a line-up which included Sir Bradley Wiggins, StevenBurke and Owain Doull.

"It was the happiest moment of my life. We've been in that position in a finalagainst the Australians so many times and so many times in the last four years they've put us away.

"It was December 3 I woke up from surgery and December 5 there was a World Cup in New Zealand. The Aussies did a (three minutes) 53 (seconds).

"You never give up hope, but it seemed like a pretty far-fetched dream to bestood up here."

Owain Doull and Ed Clancy celebrate victory Credit: Press Association

Clancy, a bronze medallist in the omnium at London 2012, had to be driven to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester lying flat on his back in a van in late December as he could not sit upright in a chair and he went hill walking for fitness.

Now he wants to go for another gold at the Tokyo Games in four years' time.

Clancy added: "I'll give it a go. That's always been the plan. I'll be 35 by then (Tokyo) and if I can get four medals out of this team pursuit career, I'll call it a day then."