Matthew Glaetzer, Leigh Hoffman and Matthew Richardson delivered a performance for the ages with 41.597 to beat host nation France in the race for bronze.

It took a bold gamble in the final after Glaetzer admitted he was unable to hold the wheel in front of him, with Australian coaches switching the starting order for the final.

The 31-year-old moved from third wheel to first in the final, Leigh rode second wheel and Matthew Richardson brought them home.

It was Australia’s first medal in the event since 2000, with plenty of heartache in between.

Various iterations of the team was fourth in Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo, and the bronze is especially sweet for Matthew Glaetzer.

Matthew, who has overcome thyroid cancer, was in four of those campaigns and across team or individual events had never landed a medal - until now.

“I’m just so proud of the boys, they rode their hearts out, we all did, and it’s very special to finally win an Olympic medal,” Matthew Glaetzer said.

“I knew we needed to mix it up for the final and we rode positions that we haven’t done this whole Olympic cycle, in the one race that matters the most.

“The boys bought in and we absolutely ripped it.

“An Olympic medal means so much. I’ve had so much heartbreak in Olympic finals, every Olympic final I’ve been in has been gut-wrenching and the last Olympics caused me to question whether I wanted to keep riding and geez I’m glad I stuck it out … I’ve been working my whole elite career to clinch one.

“We just know how hard it is, and the history behind it, and us getting pipped every single time, and I did not want to live that again, ” Matthew said.

The Netherlands broke the world record in 40.949 to beat Great Britain for gold in the final.

Earlier on the second night of competition at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome, Australia’s Women’s Team Pursuit hit the boards for the first time in qualifying.

Sophie Edwards, Chloe Moran, Maeve Plouffe and Georgia Baker combined to ride 4:08.612 which broke the national record by more than one second.

It was the sixth fastest time in qualifying and will see them ride against France in the first round at 9.52pm AEST on 7 August.

Although out of medal contention, Maeve said the team was proud of its performance in Paris.

“It’s a game of marginal gains and we don’t know when we go out there what everyone else is going to do, we just need to do our best time,” she said.

“So to go out there and go a second faster than we’ve ever been as a unit, that’s a huge thing to put it out on the day and we think we did a really smooth ride.’

Reece Homfray