Laura Kenny

Dame Laura Rebecca Kenny, Lady Kenny, (née Trott; born 24 April 1992) is an English former professional track and road cyclist who specialised in track endurance events, which included the team pursuit, omnium, scratch race, and madison disciplines. With six Olympic medals (five golds and one silver), she is the most successful British female athlete in Olympic history.

Dame
Laura Kenny
DBE

Kenny at the 2015 UEC European Track Championships
Personal information
Full name	Laura Rebecca Kenny
Born	Laura Rebecca Trott (1992-04-24) 24 April 1992 (age 33)[1] Harlow, Essex, England[2]
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)[3]
Weight	52 kg (115 lb)[3]
Team information
Disciplines	Track Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Endurance (track)
Professional teams
2012	Team Ibis Cycles
2013–2014	Wiggle–Honda
2015–2018	Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling
2022	Team Breeze
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 5 1 0 World Championships 7 7 1 European Championships 14 3 1 Commonwealth Games 2 0 1 European U23 Championships 6 0 0 Total 34 11 3 Women's track cycling Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games 2012 London Omnium 2012 London Team pursuit 2016 Rio de Janeiro Omnium 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team pursuit 2020 Tokyo Madison 2020 Tokyo Team pursuit World Championships 2011 Apeldoorn Team pursuit 2012 Melbourne Omnium 2012 Melbourne Team pursuit 2013 Minsk Team pursuit 2014 Cali Team pursuit 2016 London Scratch 2016 London Omnium 2013 Minsk Omnium 2014 Cali Omnium 2015 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Omnium 2015 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Team pursuit 2018 Apeldoorn Team pursuit 2019 Pruszków Team pursuit 2020 Berlin Team pursuit 2016 London Team pursuit European Championships 2010 Pruszków Team pursuit 2011 Apeldoorn Omnium 2011 Apeldoorn Team pursuit 2013 Apeldoorn Omnium 2013 Apeldoorn Team pursuit 2014 Guadeloupe Omnium 2014 Guadeloupe Team pursuit 2015 Grenchen Scratch race 2015 Grenchen Omnium 2015 Grenchen Team pursuit 2018 Glasgow Elimination race 2018 Glasgow Team pursuit 2019 Apeldoorn Team pursuit 2020 Plovdiv Team pursuit 2019 Apeldoorn Omnium 2019 Apeldoorn Madison 2020 Plovdiv Omnium 2020 Plovdiv Madison Junior World Championships 2010 Montichiari Omnium 2010 Montichiari Pursuit 2010 Montichiari Points race U23 & Junior European Championships 2011 Anadia U23 Scratch race 2011 Anadia U23 Individual pursuit 2011 Anadia U23 Team pursuit 2013 Anadia U23 Individual pursuit 2013 Anadia U23 Points race 2013 Anadia U23 Omnium Representing  England Commonwealth Games 2014 Glasgow Points race 2022 Birmingham Scratch race 2022 Birmingham Team pursuit

Kenny became European champion for the first time in 2010, and world champion for the first time in 2011. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won gold medals in both the team pursuit and the omnium. Kenny won further world titles in 2013, 2014 and 2016 before successfully defending her Olympic titles in both the team pursuit and the omnium at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenny became a mother in 2017, but returned in 2018, securing two gold medals in the European Championships later that year. Further European titles followed and she won her fifth Olympic gold (an all-time record for a female cyclist) in the madison event at the delayed 2020 games, as well as securing a silver in the team pursuit. Kenny gave birth to a second child in 2023, and she retired from cycling in March 2024.

During her track cycling career, she won five Olympic, seven World Championship, fourteen European Championship and two Commonwealth Games titles. Kenny predominantly focused on track cycling, her best result in road racing was victory in the British National Road Race Championships in 2014. In 2016, she married fellow cyclist Jason Kenny, and between them they have won fifteen Olympic medals, including twelve golds, a record for married Olympians.

Early life

Kenny was born a month prematurely, and with a collapsed lung in Harlow, Essex. She was later diagnosed with asthma, and she was advised by doctors to take up sport in order to help control her breathing. She took part in trampolining but had to give up as she kept passing out while jumping.^[4][5] She grew up in Cheshunt, where she attended Turnford School,^[6] and her older sister Emma Trott also became a road racing cyclist.^[7] The sisters began cycling when they rode with their mother who had taken up cycling to help lose weight.^[8] At around the age of nine, she joined a local cycling club called the Welwyn Wheelers.^[9]

Career

2009–2012

Kenny won the junior women's pursuit title at the 2009 British National Track Championships, as well as finishing second in the scratch race.^[10][11] On the road that year, she was victorious in the Essex Giro, and thus secured the title of British women's Junior Road Race champion.^[12] The following year, she finished fourth in the 2010 World Junior Road Race Championships,^[13] and she then competed at the World Junior Track Championships, where she won gold in the omnium, and silver medals in the individual pursuit and points race.^[13] At national-level, Kenny won the individual pursuit, points race and the 500m Time Trial at the 2010 British National Junior Track Championships,^[14] and she was then selected to compete for England at senior-level in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where she finished seventh in the individual pursuit.^[15] She then took a place in the Olympic Academy Programme.^[16] At the 2010 European Championships in Pruszków, she won her first senior-level gold medal. Racing with teammates Katie Colclough and Wendy Houvenaghel, the trio finished first in the team pursuit, overcoming Lithuania in the final.^[17]

Kenny won her first world title at the 2011 World Track Cycling Championships in Apeldoorn, as part of the team pursuit line-up with Dani Rowe and Houvenaghel. Great Britain secured victory over the United States in the gold medal race.^[18][19] She then secured three gold medals at the under-23 European Track Championships in Anadia, triumphing in the scratch race, individual pursuit and team pursuit.^[20] In October, returning to senior competition at the European Track Championships, she finished in first place in both the team pursuit and omnium.^[21][22] Later in the year, at the 2011-12 Track Cycling World Cup event in Cali, Kenny won a gold in the team pursuit and a bronze in the omnium.^[23][24]

For the 2012 road season, Kenny joined Team Ibis Cycles,^[25] with whom she competed in five races, but recorded no podium finishes.^[26] Back on the track, she enjoyed success in the run up to the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning two world titles at the World Track Cycling Championships in Melbourne. In the team pursuit, Great Britain (Kenny, Joanna Rowsell and Rowe) twice broke the world record, setting a fastest time of 3:15.720 in the final. She followed this up with victory in the omnium.^[27][28]

At the Summer Olympics in London, Kenny won a gold medal in the team pursuit with Rowe and Rowsell.^[29] In their victory against the United States in the gold medal race, Great Britain set a new world and Olympic record time of 3:14.051 for the event. Afterwards, Kenny said "I can't believe it. It's been my dream since I was eight. We've gone and done it. I don't think we expected it."^[30] Including pre-Olympics races and the Olympics final itself, in the six times they had ridden together the trio had broken the world record in every race.^[29] She also won gold in the omnium, two days after winning gold in the team pursuit.^[31][32]

2013–2016

Kenny joined the Wiggle Honda team for 2013 and in her first start for the team, she finished fourth at the GP Dottignies in Belgium.^[33] She also recorded a second place finish at the British National Road Race Championships, which secured her the British under-23 title.^[34]

On the track in 2013, Kenny won a world title in the team pursuit at the Track Cycling World Championships in Minsk, as well as finishing in second place in the omnium. After the event, the women's team pursuit was increased from three riders to four, with the race distance also lengthened from 3km to 4km.^[35][36] In July, she was crowned the champion in both the individual pursuit and the points race at the 2013 Junior/U23 European Track Championships, beating her British teammate Elinor Barker to gold in both disciplines.^[37] She then won gold medals in both the team pursuit and the omnium at the European Track Championships in Apeldoorn. Great Britain, featuring Kenny, King, Rowsell and Barker also set a new world record time of 4:26.556 during their victory in the team pursuit.^[38][39] In the 2013-14 Track Cycling World Cup, Kenny was part of the same British quartet who again broke the team pursuit world record, this time in Manchester, setting a time of 4:19.604.^[40] She also went on to claim the omnium title in Manchester,^[41] before winning the omnium again at the next leg of the series in Aguascalientes.^[42]

Kenny won gold in the team pursuit at the 2014 Track Cycling World Championships, and she later collected a silver in the omnium.^[43] She then competed for England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. At the start of the competition, she was still suffering from a recent kidney infection and she finished out of the medal places in both the scratch race and individual pursuit.^[44] Kenny recovered as the Games progressed, and she claimed a gold medal after triumphing in the points race.^[45] On the road, she was victorious at the national road championships, finishing ahead of King and Lizzie Armitstead, and she stated afterwards that her win was "up there with winning a world championships."^[46] Returning to the track, Kenny won gold in both the team pursuit and the omnium at the European Track Championships in Guadeloupe.^[47] In the 2014-15 Track Cycling World Cup, Kenny was part of the British quartet that triumphed in the team pursuit at the events in Guadalajara and London. Additionally, she claimed gold in the omnium in London.^[48][49]

In February 2015, Kenny failed to win a title at the World Championships for the first time in her career, finishing second in both the team pursuit and omnium.^[50] The result was part of a disappointing Championships for Great Britain, with the team finishing without a gold for the first time since 2001.^[51] She signed as a lead rider for the Matrix Fitness Vulpine team for her road racing that year,^[52] moving to the team in order to better combine her road and track cycling aspirations.^[51] After a road season in which her best result was 3rd in National Championships, Kenny returned to track cycling and won three gold medals at the European Track Championships, in the team pursuit, scratch race and the omnium.^[53] Kenny also claimed gold in the omnium at the 2015-16 Track Cycling World Cup event in Cali, winning the event by fifty-three points.^[54]

At the beginning of 2016, Kenny won gold in the omnium and a silver in the scratch race at the Track Cycling World Cup event in Hong Kong.^[55] She followed this with gold medals in the scratch race and omnium at the 2016 World Championships in London, as well as a bronze in the team pursuit.^[56]

Kenny (second from right) after winning team pursuit gold at the 2016 Olympics

At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Kenny competed for medals in both the team pursuit and omnium. In the team pursuit, Great Britain, featuring Kenny, Barker, Rowsell and Katie Archibald took gold, defeating the American world champions in the final with a world record time of 4:10.236. This made Kenny the first British woman to win three golds,^[57][58] though this achievement was matched by Charlotte Dujardin the next day.^[59] In the Omnium, Kenny finished in the top two in five of the six events, to secure her second gold medal of the games and again become Britain's leading female Olympian in terms of gold medals won.^[60][61] Following the end of the track cycling competition at the games, she and her fiancé Jason Kenny were described in the British press as the 'golden couple', having won five gold medals between them in at the 2016 games.^[62][63][64] At the end of the year, she was a nominee for the 2016 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, and she was also awarded Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year.^[65][66]

2017–2024

After giving birth in August 2017, Kenny returned to training in January 2018, and in March, she was part of the British team pursuit line-up that finished in silver position at the World Track Cycling Championships in Apeldoorn.^[67] The following August, at the European Track Championships in Glasgow, Kenny won gold medals in both the team pursuit and the elimination race.^[68] She then won six gold medals later in the year in the 2018‍–‍19 Track Cycling World Cup series. In Milton, she triumphed in both the team pursuit and omnium,^[69] before winning the team pursuit and madison (with Emily Nelson) in Berlin. Kenny took part in the madison as a replacement after Archibald had crashed in an earlier event.^[70] Kenny then added two further golds in London, one as part of the team pursuit, and another in the madison alongside Archibald.^[71]

Kenny won a bronze medal in the team pursuit at the 2019 Track Cycling World Championships in Pruszków. She had been scheduled to compete in the omnium later on in the compeitition, but illness forced her withdrawal.^[72] At the European Track Championships, she claimed gold in the team pursuit as well as securing silver medals in both the omnium and madison.^[73][74] In November, Kenny took part in the Track Cycling World Cup meeting in Minsk. She finished runner-up in the madison (with Nelson) and she also finished third in the omnium.^[75]

In January 2020, Kenny broke her shoulder during a crash in the omnium at the Track Cycling World Cup event in Milton. Earlier in the event, she and Neah Evans had won gold in the madison.^[76] She decided not to have surgery in order to compete at the following months World Track Cycling Championships. A surgeon had also told her that surgery would likely prevent her from competing in the scheduled Olympics that summer.^[77] At the World Championships in Berlin, she won a silver medal as a member of the British squad that finished second in the team pursuit. Kenny competed in a heat but didn't take part in the final.^[78] She then finished twelfth in the omnium.^[79] The Olympics were then postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic,^[80] but in November, Kenny won three medals at the European Track Championships in Plovdiv. She claimed a gold medal in the team pursuit, a silver in the omnium and a bronze in the madison (with Barker).^[81][82]

At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kenny won a silver medal in the team pursuit: Great Britain briefly held the world record (4:06.748) after their ride in the first round before Germany set a faster time in their heat to qualify for the gold medal race against Great Britain. Germany broke the world record again in the final, finishing six seconds ahead of the British team, featuring Kenny, Archibald, Evans and Josie Knight.^[83] Kenny and Archibald then became the first ever Olympic champions in the women's madison, winning 10 of the race's 12 sprints and gaining a lap on the field to secure a total of 78 points, more than twice the score of the second-placed Danish team.^[84] After their success, Kenny said "I am just so glad. I have never wanted to win a race so badly in my life."^[85]

Victory made Kenny the first British woman to win gold medals at three consecutive Olympics, the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history (eclipsing Leontien van Moorsel), and tied with Dujardin for the most Olympic medals won by a British woman.^[85] Kenny then competed in the omnium, chasing a third medal of the games, but her hopes suffered a setback in the opening scratch race when she was involved in a multi-rider crash on the penultimate lap. She went on to win the tempo race but could only finish 13th in the elimination race, finishing sixth in the overall standings.^[86] Kenny was chosen to be the flag bearer for Great Britain at the closing ceremony.^[87]

In April 2022, Kenny was part of the British team that won silver in the team pursuit at the Track Nations Cup in Glasgow.^[88] At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, she secured her first gold medal in the competition since 2014 with success in the scratch race.^[89] It was her second medal of the games, after also winning a bronze medal in the team pursuit.^[90]

In July 2023, Kenny became a mother for the second time and indicated in November that it was still her ambition to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[91] However, in early March 2024, she had not returned to training, and the performance director of British Cycling, Stephen Park, cast doubt on her participation.^[92] On 18 March 2024, she announced her retirement from cycling. She ended her career as the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history.^[93]

Post-retirement

Kenny joined the BBC's coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[94] Later in the year, she was the ambassador for the Unsung Hero Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the year Awards.^[95]

Kenny was named Commonwealth Games England president in March 2025, becoming the youngest person to hold the role.^[96][97]

Personal life

She married fellow track cyclist Jason Kenny at a private ceremony on 24 September 2016 in Macclesfield. Fellow Olympic gold medallist and teammate Dani Rowe (nee King) was one of the bridesmaids.^[98] In 2016, the couple lived near Knutsford in Cheshire,^[99] and their first son was born in August 2017.^[100] In November 2021, she suffered a miscarriage at nine weeks, and in January 2022, she underwent surgery due to an ectopic pregnancy.^[101] Their second son was born in July 2023.^[102] In December 2024, her third pregnancy was announced, and she gave birth to a daughter in May 2025.^[103] As a married couple, their shared fifteen Olympic medals (twelve gold) is a record, where both spouses are an Olympic gold medalist.^[104][105]

She is a supporter of Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.^[106]

Honours and awards

Kenny was awarded an OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours,^[107][108] and she was later made a CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours, both for services to cycling.^[109] Both she, and her husband received their CBEs on 25 April 2017 at an Investiture in Buckingham Palace.^[110] She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours, again for services to cycling.^[111] Her husband was knighted in the same list, also for services to cycling.^[112] They were both invested at Windsor Castle on 17 May 2022.^[113]

The Royal Mail promised to paint a postbox gold in the hometown of every British gold medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but they wrongly painted a postbox in Harlow, where she was born, instead of Cheshunt which she considers her home town. A second postbox was then painted gold to rectify the mistake.^[2]

In 2012, she was given the freedom of the borough of Broxbourne.^[114] In 2013, she was awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Essex.^[115]

In 2014, Grundy Park Leisure Centre in Cheshunt was renamed The Laura Trott Leisure Centre in recognition of her achievements.^[116][117]

Career achievements

Major results

Sources:^[118][119]

Track

2008

3rd Sprint, National Junior Track Championships

2009

National Junior Track Championships

1st Individual pursuit

1st Points race

2nd 500m time trial

3rd Madison (with Hannah Mayho)

2010

1st Team pursuit, UEC European Track Championships

National Junior Track Championships

1st Individual pursuit

1st 500m time trial

2nd Points race

2nd Scratch

1st National Derny Championships

3rd Individual pursuit, National Track Championships

2011

1st Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Omnium

UEC European Under-23 Track Championships

1st Individual pursuit

1st Scratch

1st Team pursuit

2011–12 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Cali

1st Team pursuit

3rd Omnium

National Track Championships

2nd Individual pursuit

2nd Points race

2nd Scratch

3rd 500m time trial

2012

Olympic Games

1st Team pursuit

1st Omnium

UCI Track World Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Omnium

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team Pursuit

1st Omnium

2011–12 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, London

1st Team pursuit

3rd Omnium

2012–13 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Glasgow

1st Omnium

1st Team pursuit

2013

UCI Track World Championships

1st Team pursuit

2nd Omnium

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Omnium

UEC European Under-23 Track Championships

1st Individual pursuit

1st Omnium

1st Points race

National Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Points race

1st Individual pursuit

1st Madison

2013–14 UCI Track Cycling World Cup

1st Team pursuit, Manchester

1st Omnium, Manchester

2nd Omnium, Aguascalientes

2014

UCI Track World Championships

1st Team pursuit

2nd Omnium

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Omnium

1st Points race, Commonwealth Games

National Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Scratch

2nd Individual pursuit

3rd Points race

2014–15 UCI Track Cycling World Cup

1st Team pursuit, Guadalajara

1st Team pursuit, London

1st Omnium, London

2015

1st Omnium, 2015–16 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Cali

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Scratch

1st Omnium

National Track Championships

1st Individual pursuit

1st Scratch

1st Points race

Grand Prix of Poland

1st Omnium^[120]

1st Scratch^[121]

UCI Track World Championships

2nd Team pursuit

2nd Omnium

2016

Olympic Games

1st Team pursuit

1st Omnium

UCI Track World Championships

1st Omnium

1st Scratch

3rd Team pursuit

2015–16 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Hong Kong

1st Omnium

2nd Scratch

1st National Madison Championships

2018

2nd Team pursuit, UCI World Championships

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

1st Elimination race

2018–19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup

1st Omnium, Milton

1st Team pursuit, Milton

1st Madison, Berlin (with Emily Nelson)

1st Team pursuit, Berlin

1st Madison, London (with Katie Archibald)

1st Team pursuit, London

1st Omnium, National Track Championships

2019

2nd Team pursuit, UCI World Championships

2019–20 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Minsk

2nd Madison (with Emily Nelson)

3rd Omnium

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

2nd Omnium

2nd Madison (with Katie Archibald)

2020

2nd Team pursuit, UCI World Championships

1st Madison, 2019–20 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Milton (with Neah Evans)

UEC European Track Championships

1st Team pursuit

2nd Omnium

3rd Madison (with Elinor Barker)

2021

Olympic Games

1st Madison (with Katie Archibald)

2nd Team pursuit

2022

Commonwealth Games

1st Scratch race

3rd Team pursuit

2nd Team pursuit, UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup, Glasgow

Road

2009

2nd National Criterium Championships

2011

National Road Championships

1st Under-23 road race

5th Road race

2013

National Road Championships

1st Under-23 road race

2nd Road race

5th Time trial

1st RideLondon Grand Prix

4th Grand Prix de Dottignies

2014

National Road Championships

1st Road race

1st Under-23 road race

5th Time trial

1st Overall Surf & Turf 2-Day^[122]

1st Stages 1, 2 & 3

2015

3rd Road race, National Road Championships

See also

• Sports portal
• Olympics portal

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of Olympic medalists in cycling (women)
• 2012 Olympics gold post boxes in the United Kingdom
• List of British cyclists
• Jason Kenny