'It doesn't really matter about the World Championships. It's all about the Olympics'
Image 1 of 5
Laura Trott and Jason Kenny with their gold medals
Laura Trott (Great Britain) celebrates her Omnium gold medal
Laura Trott shows off the cycling kit for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games(Image credit: Adidas)
Laura Trott (Great Britain) in the individual pursuit(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Laura Trott training at the Olympic Games velodrome
Laura Trott has said that she is frustrated by how Great Britain's dominance in the velodrome at the Rio 2016 Olympics was questioned by some of their rivals.
Trott claimed two of the British team's six gold medals on the track, winning the team pursuit and omnium for the second successive Games to become Britain's most successful female Olympian.
The final British tally almost matched their haul of seven gold medals from the London 2012 Olympics, and marked a dramatic improvement on their performances at track world championships in recent seasons. France's Michael D'Almeida and women's medallists Katrina Vogel (Germany) and Anna Meares (Australia) were among the riders to highlight the British team's remarkable ability to peak for the Olympic Games.
"I'm not angry as such, it is a little bit annoying and frustrating because it is a lot of hard work that has gone into that performance," Trott told BBC Five Live on returning to Britain.
"British Cycling has always been an Olympics-based programme, so for us it wasn't about cleaning up at the World Championships. Don't get me wrong, it would have been nice because they were in London, but it's always been around the Olympics."
Trott was among the British team's most consistent performers at track world championships between the London and Rio Olympics, taking silver in the omnium in 2013, 2014 and 2015 before landing gold in the event at this year's Worlds in London. Trott also won two team pursuit world titles, in 2013 and 2014, and the scratch race this year, but said that success at the Olympic Games was the lone yardstick.
"That's what our funding is pushed towards, that's where they spent our UK Sport money. So for us it was about performing there and I think if we'd come away and under-performed at the Olympics, we'd have been gutted if we'd cleaned up at London because it would have meant we'd have peaked at the wrong time," Trott said.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"And I think what a lot of other nations don't know, and what they don't see, is the fact that it doesn't really matter about the world championships. It's all about the Olympics."
