China defended the women's team sprint title on the opening day of track cycling at Tokyo 2020, having earlier broken the world record.

The duo of Bao Shanju and Zhong Tianshi overcame Lea Sophie Friedrich and Emma Hinze of Germany in Monday's final.

Denmark also set a new Olympic benchmark during qualifying for the men's team pursuit. Here is a round-up from day one at the Izu Velodrome.

MORE VELODROME GOLD FOR CHINA

Four years ago, it was China who triumphed in the women's sprint event at Rio 2016, while in London four years previously they were relegated to silver.

They laid down a marker in qualifying with a new world-record time of 31.804 seconds.

Interestingly, the previous benchmark (32.034) was actually slower than the old Olympic record of 31.928 as the UCI never ratified China's Rio 2016 Olympic record as a world best.

In the final, Bao and Zhong were .325 seconds in front by the midway stage but a strong finish from the German pair meant there were 85 thousandths of a second splitting the teams, with China clocking a 31.895.

The Russian Olympic Committee defeated the Netherlands in the bronze medal race.

GERMANY SMASH RECORD AS GREAT DANES SET NEW OLYMPIC MARK

World-record holders Denmark surpassed the old Olympic marker set by Great Britain at Rio 2016 in qualifying fastest in the men's team pursuit.

The rapid Danes clocked a time of 3:45.014 to set up a meeting with GB, whose time of 3:47.507 is the quickest they have posted, for the right to contest the gold medal.

Whoever comes out on top in that battle will face either Italy or New Zealand.

Germany registered the fastest time in the women's team pursuit – indeed, the fastest time in history, almost three seconds quicker than the previous world record – and go up against Italy, with the victors to meet either Great Britain or New Zealand for the gold.