Team GB recover from shaky start to break men's team sprint qualifying Olympic record

Phillip Hindes was designated specialist starter before Jason Kenny and Sir Chris Hoy

Philip Hindes picked himself up off the track to lead Great Britain's men to the fastest qualifying time in the team sprint at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

After Jess Varnish and Victoria Pendleton had set a team sprint world record only to qualify second fastest as China bettered the mark, Hindes endured an eventful start to his Olympic career.

Assigned the role of specialist starter ahead of Jason Kenny and Sir Chris Hoy, who won gold in the event in Beijing, the 19-year-old wobbled out of the start gate and lost control of his bike before tumbling to the track at the beginning of the first bend as his team-mates rolled past him.

Britain were given a second opportunity to ride heat five with Germany and Hindes responded from his unsettling start.

Hindes led Britain to a new Olympic record of 43.065 seconds as the track programme began with a bang.

PA