Ellesse Andrews, Rebecca Petch and Shaane Fulton have claimed New Zealand's first track cycling medal of the Paris Olympics.
The trio finished runner-up to world record-breaking Great Britain in the women's team sprint at the Saint Quinten en Yvelines Velodrome on Monday (Tuesday NZ Time), earning The NZ Team's fifth silver and ninth medal overall.
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It was New Zealand's first medal of any colour in the women's team sprint, having previously earned silver in the men's team sprint at Rio 2016.
Against the best in the world, the Kiwis were a little loose on the first lap, with Petch leading them out fast to be ahead of Great Britain, but their second and third riders, Fulton and Andrews, were slightly off the pace.
Once Great Britain hit the front midway through the second lap, there was no stopping them as they went on to set their third world record in less than three hours of 45.186, with the Kiwis 0.473 behind.
Earlier, Andrews, Petch and Fulton rode 45.593 to qualify second, behind Great Britain, with a then world record 45.472.
The record changed hands multiple times in the first round, with Germany clocking 45.377 in their win over Mexico, the Kiwis throwing down 45.348 in beating Poland by almost two seconds, and the Brits retaking it with 45.338.
In the men's team pursuit qualifying, the New Zealand team of Aaron Gate, Campbell Stewart, Keegan Hornblow and Tom Sexton clocked 3:45.616 to be sixth-fastest, 2.658 adrift of the top-qualifying Australians.
The cut-throat nature of the team pursuit competition means New Zealand will be racing for at best fifth on Tuesday, facing seven-fastest Belgium in their first round race, after missing out on the top-four by 1.265 seconds.
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