Team Pursuit (4,000 metres), Men

West Germany had won the last three World Championships, and four of the last five, as well as winning the gold medal in 1964 and 1972. Their team in Montréal was led by individual pursuit gold medalist Gregor Braun and the 1974 individual pursuit World Champion, Hans Lutz. But the qualifying in Montréal was led by the East Germans, with the Soviet Union second, followed by the FRG team. But in the match racing, West Germany was tough. They crushed Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals and easily dispatched the British team in the semis. They were met in the final by the Soviet Union, which had defeated the GDR in the semi-finals. The final was not close, as West Germany won the gold medal easily. The bronze medal race, however, was very close, with Great Britain eking out a victory over East Germany. This was Great Britain’s eighth bronze medal in this – 1928-56, and 1972-76. East Germany would win the next four world titles, but they would never manage an Olympic gold in the team pursuit.