Wiggins in top form as GB shine

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Video - Wiggins breaks Olympic record

Defending champion Bradley Wiggins set an Olympic record as Great Britain made a blistering start in the heats of the men's and women's individual pursuit.

Wiggins set a personal best with four minutes 15.031 seconds, while Steven Burke clocked a time of 4mins 22.2secs.

In the women's competition Brits Wendy Houvenaghel and Rebecca Romero set the two fastest times over 3km.

Houvenaghel's 3:28.443 was a personal best, while Romero, who won Olympic rowing silver in 2004 rode 3:28.641.

Defending men's champion Bradley McGee of Australia, who has won five medals on the track at the last three Olympics, including three in individual pursuit, came ninth and was eliminated.

The pursuit qualifying resumes on Saturday and the fastest two will compete for gold, while the third and fourth fastest of the eight remaining riders in each event will race for bronze.

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Wiggins will now race against Alexander Serov of Russia, while Burke competes against Volodymyr Dyudya.

Burke, who will be a member of GB's team pursuit outfit, shaved nine seconds off his personal best.

"I'm really pleased with the time," said 20-year-old Burke. "I have not rode a 4km on my own in about a year."

Romero was racing against Australia's Katie Mactier on Friday and will compete against the same cyclist on Saturday, while Houvenaghel is in the same heat as Lada Kozlikova.

New Zealand's Hayden Roulston signalled his gold medal intentions in the men's pursuit by winning his heat to finish second fastest while Russian Alexei Markov was the third fastest.

"I think anyone is beatable but you have to cut your head off to beat Bradley (Wiggins)," said Roulston. "Anything can happen."