Brailsford feels Britons will meet 2012 challenge

Britain’s return of one gold medal – for Wendy Houvenaghel, Laura Trott and Dani King in the women’s team pursuit – is their lowest haul since Bordeaux in 2006.

After winning seven of 10 Olympic titles in the velodrome in Beijing in 2008, Brailsford knows expectations remain high, but he is content to have work to do in the remaining 16 months before the London Olympics.

He said: “The challenge we’ve got as a team is that people expect gold medals. Medals aren’t good enough; gold medals are what people want.

“But I don’t think it’s a bad place to be. We’re within touching distance but we’ve got a fight on our hands.”

Although beneath recent standards, set at World Championships in Palma, Manchester, Pruszkow and Copenhagen – as well as in Beijing – it has been a strong haul.

In 10 Olympic events, Britain won medals in seven, missing out in the omnium events – in which 18-year-olds Sam Harrison and Trott rode for experience – and the women’s Keirin.

There were silvers for Sir Chris Hoy in the Keirin, Jason Kenny in the sprint and in the women’s team sprint for Jessica Varnish and Victoria Pendleton.

Hoy won bronze in the men’s sprint and alongside Kenny and Matt Crampton in the team event, while Andy Tennant, Steven Burke, Peter Kennaugh and Harrison in the men’s team pursuit and Pendleton in the women’s sprint also finished third.

Additionally, King clinched an impressive third place in the non-Olympic scratch race.

But Britain trailed in fourth in the medal table, topped by Australia with 11 – including six golds in the 10 Olympic events.

Pendleton relinquished her hold on the sprint title to Anna Meares and Hoy was beaten by Shane Perkins in his favoured Keirin event as Australia gained something of a psychological advantage, if nothing else, with the 2012 World Championships taking place in Melbourne four months before the London Olympics open.

Brailsford played down any suggestion of concern over Hoy and Pendleton’s championships.

Brailsford said: “Chris needs that Olympic drive to really make the sacrifices that he needs to make. Likewise with Vicky.”