The track cycling program has changed since Beijing 2008 in an effort to make the discipline gender equal and more entertaining for spectators.  There will be 10 events, five each for men and women.

Sprint                      Team Pursuit
Team Sprint            Keirin
Omnium

Track cycling will be held at the newly built Velodrome in the north of the Olympic Park, the first of the Olympic Park venues to be completed and considered to be the most sustainable. Experts have already declared that the track is set to be the fastest in the world.  

London 2012 Storylines:
Team Great Britain hopes will have a pair of favourites in the track events as Sir Chris Hoy collected three gold medals in Beijing while Victoria Pendleton is the defending Olympic champion in the women's sprint. Team Great Britain will be looking to add to its dominance on the track from the Beijing 2008 Games, when British cyclists won seven of the 10 gold medals.  Working in their favour is the fact that Hoy was consulted on the design of the Velodrome.

Canada's Outlook:

When considering track cycling, the addition of the omnium to the Olympic program is great news for Canada, which has only won one Olympic medal ever in women's track cycling - Lori-Ann Muenzer's sprint gold in Athens 2004.  Tara Whitten is the two-time defending World Champion in the omnium.  On the men's side, Canada's Zach Bell is the one to watch in the omnium. Bell won the 2009 World silver medal in the event and was crowned World Cup champion of the omnium at the conclusion of the 2011 UCI World Cup season.

INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES – AT A GLANCE:

Men

Sir Chris Hoy – Great Britain

• Won three gold medals in Beijing 2008 (sprint, keirin, team sprint), the first British athlete to win three golds in a single Games since 1908
• Won gold in Athens 2004 (kilometre time trial) and silver in Sydney 2000 (team sprint)
• Was one of the judges for the London 2012 Velodrome venue design
• Won silver at 2011 UCI track cycling World Championships

• A threat to win three medals in London 2012 (sprint, team sprint and keirin)
• Won gold in the sprint in Beijing 2008
• Five-time World Champion in the sprint (2005, 2007-10)
• Won bronze at 2011 UCI World Championships