Laura Kenny hungry for more gold as her husband Jason aims to become Britain’s GREATEST Olympian

In the Kenny household, there is only one colour that counts. After Rio 2016, when Laura Kenny talked about wanting two more medals to make a clock, she only included the 10 gold ones she and Jason had won.

On her part, the 29-year-old has known nothing else in her Olympic career — a perfect record of four victories from four. As for her husband? A mischievous Laura is only too happy to fill us in. ‘He doesn’t have a 100 per cent record, does he?’ she teases. ‘He got a silver. What a shame!’

The medal that has darkened the family’s door came 13 years ago in Beijing, when Jason finished behind a certain Sir Chris Hoy in the sprint. But he has not lost an Olympic event since then and his record reads six golds from seven.

Jason and Laura Kenny’s place in history is already assured, but they want more in Tokyo 

The married couple have won a staggering 10 gold medals between them on the velodrome

The married couple have won a staggering 10 gold medals between them on the velodrome 

Here in Tokyo, Jason can surpass Hoy and become the most successful British Olympian and the first to win seven golds. Behind him, Laura also hopes to make it a magnificent seven next week. 

‘I am living with the person I am trying to beat,’ smiles Laura, who married Jason in September 2016 and gave birth to their son Albie a year later.

After doing the double-double at London and Rio, this will be the first time new mum Laura has competed in three events in one Games. The 29-year-old is taking on the madison, after it was added to the Olympic track cycling programme, as well as attempting to defend her team pursuit and omnium titles.

‘I went into all of my races at London and Rio hoping to medal, and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing in Tokyo,’ she says. ‘The natural step for me was to put my hand up for all three events, and it’s the same attitude in the extra event — I would hope to come away with a medal.’

Action gets under way on Sunday at the Izu Velodrome, 75 miles south of Tokyo, and as things stand, up to 1,800 fans can attend the 3,600-seat venue as the Shizuoka prefecture is not under a state of emergency.

‘I’m glad there will be some noise,’ says Laura. ‘Initially I thought there was going to be no one allowed except the riders, staff and media, and I was a bit gutted.

‘I thought, ‘What are they going to do — pipe in crowd noise? Can we pick the London soundtrack?’ ‘

Laura will take part in the very first event of the track programme.She teams up with Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Neah Evans in qualifying for the team pursuit and Team GB will be the favourites to triumph on Tuesday, even though they only won world silver in 2020.

Laura will be targeting madison gold amid her three events, partnering Katie Archibald (left)

Laura will be targeting madison gold amid her three events, partnering Katie Archibald (left)

‘I think the world record will definitely go,’ predicts Laura. ‘You always hear rumours about your rivals going fast and I reckon it will be broken four times — by more than one team.’

The madison — cycling’s relay race where Laura will partner Archibald — is tougher to call.

‘Not a single pair has done enough madison racing together,’ she admits. ‘When our new coach Monica Greenwood came in, she just selected Katie and me and said, ‘Right, we’re going with you two’.

‘We’ve done so much madison over the last six to eight months and some of the ideas Monica has introduced have worked like crazy. They are fantastic.

‘Over 120 laps, it’s not always going to go according to plan, but we’ve gelled so well that we know what each other is going to do instinctively.

‘These extra 12 months have given me time to make sure I have been doing everything right and to get fitter and stronger than I ever have been. As a women’s endurance team, I think we’re going well.’

Jason gets his own three-pronged programme under way on Tuesday in the team sprint, with Jack Carlin and Ryan Owens. Team GB have won the event at each of the last three Olympics, but the Dutch are now the dominant force, claiming the last three world titles.

‘We’re not sure what everyone else is going to bring to the party in Tokyo,’ says Jason. ‘None of us has seen the competition in action for such a long time, so we’re all second-guessing each other’s form.

‘You hear rumours about one nation or another smashing it in training, but you don’t really know until everyone goes to the same place and puts it all on the line.

Jason (R) can overtake Sir Chris Hoy (L) and become Britain's greatest Olympian if he triumphs

Jason (R) can overtake Sir Chris Hoy (L) and become Britain’s greatest Olympian if he triumphs

‘We’re in a better place than we would have been 12 months ago. We’re faster, and that’s all we can do. You have to be the best in the world to win the Olympics, and that challenge hasn’t changed.’

Jason, who secretly retired from the sport for a year after Rio before returning, has not won a major medal in either of his individual events — the sprint and keirin — since the last Olympics.

But the 33-year-old famously always peaks for the Games and, as in London and Rio, he is backing the ‘marginal gains’ of the new Team GB bike and skinsuits to make a difference.

‘The last couple of weeks of the build-up is always the best time because the nice, shiny new equipment comes out of the box,’ adds Jason, who has not ruled out carrying on to Paris 2024.

‘The new bike really hits the nail on the head this year. When you put all the pieces of the puzzle together, all the one per cent and two per cent differences come into play, and hopefully it gives you that boost when it matters.’

Laura believes the world record for team pursuit will be toppled once again this summer

Laura believes the world record for team pursuit will be toppled once again this summer