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Shane Sutton sets sights on Olympic recovery after poor Track World Championships

Great Britain's coach Shane Sutton talk during the UCI Track Cycling World Cup at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome
Image: Shane Sutton has backed his Britain's track cyclists to get re-find their top form in Rio

British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton is confident Britain can enjoy success at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio despite a lack of golds at last week's UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Britain finished 10th in the medals table in Paris after winning only three silvers, which was the first time they have failed to claim a gold at a World Championships since 2001.

Sutton admits it is unlikely that Britain will match their recent Olympic records of winning seven out of 10 titles in both Beijing and London, but he has set a target of five gold medals in 2016.

"I have always said we have had a glorious era," he said. "We will get to Rio and we will be the best that we can be. Whatever these athletes have got, we will get that out of them.

"As a team, if we can go there and bring five medals away in the track programme, we would be over the moon."

Jason Kenny during Day Four of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the National Velodrome on February 21, 2015 in Paris, France.
Image: Jason Kenny endured a disappointing World Championships

Despite backing his riders to perform in Rio, Sutton admitted he would talk to certain individuals about their appetite to continue racing in the wake of Paris.

"There are certain riders that probably just need to look at their hunger a little bit," he said. "If anything is going to make them hungry, it's the way they performed here [in Paris].

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"I was critical last year and I don't want to do that. I want to praise the riders. [But] there are one or two people in there that need to look at - has the journey come to an end for them or are they still hungry for it?"

Three-time Olympic champion Jason Kenny was one of Britain's poorest performers in Paris. He was part of the team sprint team that finished only eighth and was then knocked out in the first round of both the individual sprint and keirin.

However, Sutton hinted his faith in the 26-year-old was unaffected. He added: "He didn't execute well in racing. He knows that. He knows he has the ability. My belief in Jason Kenny won't go away."

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