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  Rio 2016: Perfect sunset for down-to-earth Bradley Wiggins

Rio 2016: Perfect sunset for down-to-earth Bradley Wiggins

REUTERS
Published : Aug 13, 2016, 11:43 pm IST
Updated : Aug 13, 2016, 11:43 pm IST

Bradley Wiggins shrugged off becoming Britain's most decorated Olympian in typically low-key fashion on Friday, saying it was “just something to tell the kids about” after winning gold in track cyclin

Bradley Wiggins of Britain kisses his wife Catherine. (Photo: AP)
 Bradley Wiggins of Britain kisses his wife Catherine. (Photo: AP)

Bradley Wiggins shrugged off becoming Britain's most decorated Olympian in typically low-key fashion on Friday, saying it was “just something to tell the kids about” after winning gold in track cycling's team pursuit.

Britain set a new world record as they beat Australia in the Olympic velodrome, taking Wiggins' medal haul to eight, including five golds.

“I don’t really think about that to be honest,” Wiggins told reporters. “It’s just something to tell the kids about when they're older.”

Wiggins won his first medal, a team pursuit bronze, at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

“I’d come away with a bronze medal there and I thought well that’s it, if I have to go to the job center on Monday morning and get a job I can always say I’ve got this Olympic bronze.” But in fact it was just the start.

Wiggins went on to become both Britain’s first Tour de France winner and win more Olympic medals than any other Briton, combining a track and road racing career in a way few have been able to master. But it was not always easy.

In 2014, when Wiggins won silver in the team pursuit at the Commonwealth Games many questioned whether gold in Rio was a step too far for the knighted sportsman.

“I gave up the road, gave up the big salary and came in and was just a number again and had to start from the bottom again,” Wiggins said.

But one final Olympic gold was enough to focus the mind.

“I wanted to go out with this, I wanted it to end like this and not some crappy little race in the north of France, Paris- Tour in the rain,” referring to a road race which starts outside Paris.

Location: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro