Track Cycling World Cup: Glasgow awaits young British squad

Andy Tennant (pictured) and Steven Burke will lead the men's endurance squad

Former short track speed skater Danni Khan is among a young British team aiming for success at the Track Cycling World Cup in Glasgow this weekend.

The 21-year-old used to train with Elise Christie before changing sports, and won team pursuit bronze at last month's European Championships.

"It was a tough decision to switch," said Khan.

"But I couldn't bear putting my bike away to skate full time again, so that made the decision for me."

Khan switched five years ago after knee problems meant she needed to use cycling as a way of low-impact aerobic training.

"I was hoping to be part of the team with Elise for the Winter Olympics in Sochi [2014] or Pyeongchang [2018]," Khan said.

"But because of how fast things are moving with cycling, I don't really think about what could have been.

"I still keep in touch with the short track guys and a few of them sent messages congratulating me after the European medal."

The former sprinter hopes that she and her young pursuit team can emulate that success at the home World Cup event this weekend.

Khan is one of several young riders who replaced Olympic medallists at last month's European Championships in France, bringing home eight medals.

Also in the endurance squad are fellow under-23 riders Emily Kay, Manon Lloyd and Emily Nelson.

Katie Archibald won gold medals in the omnium and individual pursuit at the European Championships

And Rio Olympic gold medallist Katie Archibald competes in her home city after claiming two European golds in Paris.

The men's sprint team, fresh from adding senior European silver to the Under-23 gold they won this summer, features Ryan Owens, who was also a reserve in Rio, Joe Truman and another local in Jack Carlin.

Rio gold medallist Steven Burke and Andy Tennant lead the men's endurance squad, with Kian Emadi starting his first full season since switching from sprinting.

Recent European bronze-winning team pursuit riders Ollie Wood and Mark Stewart complete the line-up.

British Cycling head coach Iain Dyer said: "For most of these riders, they very much see themselves on the pathway to Tokyo [for the 2020 Olympics] at this point - some of them are still in their teens."

"It's an opportunity to cast our net as wide as possible and provide as many opportunities as we can to the young riders to show us what they can do."