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Olympic champion Jason Kenny pondering retirement

By Cycling News

published 14 April 2017

Laura Kenny expecting couple's first child

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That's ten gold medals between Jason Kenny and Laura Trott now

Laura Trott and Jason Kenny with their gold medals

Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner of Great Britain celebrate after winning gold and getting an Olympic record in the Men's Team Sprint

2013 keirin world champion Jason Kenny (Great Britain)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Britain's Jason Kenny (L) competes against France's Gregory Bauge to win the gold medal in the London 2012 Olympic Games men's sprint final (Image credit: AFP)

The young British men's sprint squad has so far failed to make the finals at the UCI Track World Championships, and their future could be without six-time Olympic gold medalist Jason Kenny.

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Kenny's fellow Olympian and spouse Laura Kenny, who is expecting their first child, let the news slip while commenting on the world championships for BBC Sport.

"He's having six months to decide what he wants to do, whether to carry on or whether to retire. I'm not sure he even knows to be totally honest," Laura Kenny said. "As athletes, you always want to carry on, you always want to go to the next one.

"He's going to give himself a bit of time. As athletes you become this self-absorbed kind of person and everything's just about you but there's bigger things in life than that."

The British track sprinters have historically stepped back in the year after the Olympic Games to allow younger riders to develop in international competitions. Kenny's break after his third successful Olympics is not unusual.

The men's and women's team pursuit squads were also missing many top riders in Hong Kong and failed to reach the podium. But Katie Archibald salvaged the team's week with a commanding victory in the women's Omnium. The team also found success in the scratch races, with Elinor Barker taking silver and Christopher Latham bronze. Ryan Owens advanced on Friday to the sprint quarterfinals.