Aussie speedstar Matthew Glaetzer is ready to rip into his second Olympic Games campaign after completing his final training session at the Rio Olympic Velodrome on Tuesday.

Glaetzer and team mates Nathan Hart and Patrick Constable will open Australia’s campaign on day one of the six-day competition when they line up in the team sprint on Thursday August 11.

“Looking forward to it,” said Glaetzer who will enjoy a rest day on Wednesday.

“All of us boys, Harty and Patty, we are really confident as to what we can do out there.”

Australia will confirm its line-up on competition day, however it is expected that debutant Hart – who has recorded the fastest first wheel in Australian history - will lead the team around for the first of three laps.

Glaetzer will fire for lap two, while in lap three young-gun Constable will look to power the team to Australia’s second team sprint medal in Olympic history.

Australia is considered serious medal contenders in Rio after finishing an agonising 1000th of a second off the medal round at March’s World Championships in New Zealand. The Kiwis, plus the Netherlands, Germany and France, are set to prove the biggest challenges to Australia in the powerful event.

“For us boys it has been a really good process leading up to these Games, and it is going to plan. We just have to keep doing what we are doing and approach it like any other race,” said Glaetzer, a 2012 World Champion in the event.

“We are confident we can be up there. We know we can post a fast time with what we are doing with our training times, we are confident in that. It is just up to the other countries and whether they can match us.”

Glaetzer has a full plate in Rio as following the team sprint, he will also contest the sprint – which runs on day two, three and four of the track – plus the keirin on Day 6.

The South Australian will take to the start line as one of the favourites in the men’s sprint, and is once again expected to qualify on top as he did earlier in 2016 at the World Championships.

“I was only fastest by 1000th and I ended up getting beaten by the guy who was (technically) slower than me, so it is not much at the end of the day,” said Glaetzer, who staged an epic battle in the final with 2012 Olympic gold medallist Jason Kenny (GBR).

Kenny edged the Australian for gold in two photo finishes, with Glaetzer revealing the result fuelled his training through to the Games.

“No one likes losing, but I really took that as motivation to train really hard to make sure I get the situation flipped around come the Games,” Glaetzer added.

“Yes it (silver at Worlds) was a good experience, but at the end of the day, it is the Olympics that matters.”

However Glaetzer isn’t targeting Kenny in Rio. Instead he expects Rio will present the strongest sprint competition ever seen.

“Anyone can win, it is such as deep competition compared to London, it is twice as hard with two competitors now from each country,” he explained.

“It is going to be tough, but I am confident with what my coaches have been telling me, and my training. Power is good, numbers are good.

“I am really happy and excited for qualifying to see what I can do. I am confident I can go faster than Worlds.”

Amy McCann

olympics.com.au