The Australian men’s track cycling team made history against reigning Olympic champions Italy in the heats of the men’s team pursuit after shattering the world record at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday.

Competing at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome, the four-man pursuit team of Kelland O’Brien, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Oliver Bleddyn clocked 3:40.730 to set a new world record and storm into the final where they will take on Great Britain for the gold medal.

The previous world record belonged to Italy, with the team clocking 3:42.032, to take the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, in heat 4 of the men’s team pursuit in Paris, Australia beat Italy and obliterated their previous benchmark by more than a second.

The defending champions could only manage 3:43.205 in the heat and will pedal for the bronze.

In the final, Australia will be searching for their first gold medal in the event since Athens 2004. Graeme Brown, Brett Lancaster, Brad McGee and Luke Roberts won the gold for Australia in Athens.

Since then, they have won two silver medals and a bronze and Australia only failed to medal in this event at Beijing 2008.

Sam Welsford was a part of the Australian team that suffered a loss in the final against Great Britain at the Rio 2016 Olympics by a narrow margin.

“I think it will be the biggest rivalry there is (in track cycling) for us to take on Great Britain again, and for me, there’s that redemption from the 2016 Olympics when they beat us by 0.7 in the final,” said Sam Welsford.

“So for us to go against them is a really nice opportunity and all the boys are really hungry for it. We’ve shown today we have some good form and know how to produce fast times so I’m really excited for the final.”

Welsford and Kelland O’Brien were also part of the team in Tokyo when a broken handlebar and subsequent crash in qualifying robbed them of a shot at gold. Along with Leigh Howard, Luke Plapp and Alexander Porter, they ended up clinching the bronze medal instead.