Matt Walls and Ethan Hayter took Olympic men's Madison silver for Great Britain as world champions Lasse Norman Hansen and Michael Morkov claimed gold for Denmark.
A day after Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald won the first ever running of a women's Madison at an Olympics, Walls and Hayter used a strong finish to add to the medal haul as this messy, chaotic but hugely popular event returned to the men's programme for the first time since 2008.
It appeared hopes of a bronze were slipping away from Britain in the final laps, but instead a late surge saw Walls and Hayter edge out the French duo of Benjamin Thomas and Donavan Grondin for silver.
Ethan Hayter and Matt Walls. 22 and 23 years old.Olympic Madison silver medallists. 🥈🥈 Brilliant racing when it all mattered from the British duo 🇬🇧#TeamGB #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/4nKbi56V98 — British Cycling (@BritishCycling) August 7, 2021
Both nations finished level on 40 points, three behind Denmark, but silver went to Walls and Hayter by virtue of winning the final sprint at the end of the 200-lap race.
It gives Walls his second medal of the Tokyo Games after his omnium gold, and a first medal for his Manchester housemate Hayter, part of the team pursuit squad who finished seventh earlier in the week.
Britain had been well placed from the start of the race, leading after the fourth sprint but gradually losing ground as France and then Denmark went on the attack.
It looked as though they were heading for bronze with 30 laps to go, trailing the French by nine points, but things changed as the Belgian pair of Kenny de Ketele and Robbe Ghys went on the attack.
That brought them right into the picture for bronze as the drama increased in the final 10 laps.
But Britain responded and by catching their move with three laps to go they moved into position to win the final sprint and with it nick silver in a thrilling finish.
Denmark had led the scoring charts for the last 50 laps, but it was not always comfortable with the gaps close.
France moved to within one point after the 17th sprint, but Denmark picked up minor placings in the last three to make sure of gold.
Walls told the BBC: "I was just cooked at halfway. But we had a bit of gas at the end to finish it off."
Hayter added: "We set out on the front to try to get a bit of a head start. I think my legs started to go first."
