Rio 2016: Jason Kenny wins sixth Olympic gold to equal Sir Chris Hoy as Britain's greatest

Kenny survived two false start scares to put in a masterful display

Jason Kenny kept his cool to win a stunning sixth Olympic gold and third of the Rio Games with victory in the Keirin on Tuesday.

After Laura Trott won omnium gold for her fourth Olympic title, Becky James took silver and Katy Marchant bronze as Kristina Vogel of Germany won the sprint.

Kenny was in the final medal race on the track and survived a scare when the race was paused as officials studied footage to determine if had had illegally overtaken the motorised Derny bike before it had left the track.

The restart was also paused - with all six riders again starting - and at the third time of asking no-one could live with Kenny's blistering pace.

The 28-year-old from Bolton emulated Sir Chris Hoy's 2008 achievement of winning three titles at one Olympics to move level with the Scot as the Briton with the most Games golds.

Hoy won the Keirin at London 2012 before retiring. Kenny has two more Games in him.

Kenny's gold was Britain's 19th of the Rio Olympics - equalling the gold haul from Beijing - and the 49th British medal overall. The 48th medal, won by boxer Josh Buatsi, had minutes earlier taken Team GB past the previous best at an away Games.

Peerless Trott added the ominium to the team pursuit gold she won on Saturday, claiming a second double success following wins in the same events at London 2012.

Kenny congratulated his fiancee Trott after her supreme victory in the six-discipline omnium. The couple are scheduled to marry in September.

And she returned the congratulations, greeting him after his supreme win.

Kenny admitted he was hit and miss in the Keirin, which begins behind a motorpacing Derny bike.

Kenny rode a perfectly-timed race in the men's Keirin (Getty)

But having already won team sprint and individual sprint gold - taking his tally to five - he was eager for another.

He won his heat on Tuesday morning and the second round, effectively a semi-final, in a style reminiscent of Hoy's leading-from-the-front approach.

So eager was Kenny to get to the front again that he and Malaysia's Awang Azizulhasni almost overtook the Derny bike before it had left the track, which is not permitted.

After officials reviewed footage - and discussions with British coaches Jan van Eijden and Iain Dyer - they determined there would be no disqualification and the race would be restarted.

Kenny salutes the crowd after his sensational victory (Getty)

Next it was Germany's Joachim Eilers' turn to flirt with the illegal move and again officials halted the race.

When it did restart, Kenny was imperious, moving through the field and surging away to gold.

Matthijs Buchli of Holland took silver and Awang bronze.

Kenny's only defeat in Olympic competition came in Beijing to Hoy in the sprint.

PA