Sir Chris Hoy has given his full backing to Jason Kenny after the Bolton rider denied him the the chance to defend all three of his Olympic titles in London.
British Cycling confirmed that Bolton rider Kenny had been picked ahead of the 36-year-old Scot to represent Team GB in the individual sprint event, leaving Hoy to compete in the team sprint and the keirin.
Hoy beat Kenny, 24, to the gold medal in Beijing four years ago, and they have been evenly-matched over the last four years.
But with UCI rules dictating that only one rider from each nation can compete in the sprint at the London Games, one of them had to miss out.
British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford had elected to leave the decision as late as possible, but Kenny has been given the nod after he finished in second place ahead of Hoy at the World Championships in Melbourne earlier this year.
Kenny will join Hoy as part of the men's team sprint alongside Philip Hindes and reserve Ross Edgar.
Despite his disappointment at missing out, Hoy said he had no qualms with the decision and is backing Kenny to take on allcomers at the Games, including France's reigning world champion Gregory Bauge.
Hoy said: "We found out a few weeks ago, it was not out of the blue now. We were told that if things did change they would not hesitate to change the decision.
"But as it stands we have both improved at the same kind of rate so Jason thoroughly deserves it, he has performed really well at the World Championships and he has stepped it since then as well.
"I don't want to jinx him or say too much too soon but the rest of the world had better watch out as he is going exceptionally well."
He added: "They (Brailsford) made the right call. It is not about individual ambition it's about the team getting the most number of gold medals.
"Therefore you could say you are spreading yourself a bit thin by taking part in three events but that is not why they have made the decision. They have picked the best sprinter."
Hoy also believes that his non-selection for the individual sprint may improve his chances of success in the keirin and team sprint thanks to the extra rest he will get between the two disciplines.
"For me personally it means I have got the chance to have a proper recovery between the team sprint and the keirin which is a bit of a luxury really.
"It means I can give it everything in the team sprint and then get that out the way and prepare for the keirin."
Kenny, the 2011 individual sprint world champion, admitted it had been a difficult wait for the selectors to reach their decision, but insisted it had not been a distraction for the pair as they worked together in training.
"I am pleased, to be honest after the World Championships we had done our bit and it was then in the hands of the selectors. We needed to knuckle down and keep training well," he said.
"I was not confident at all (of being selected). Training had been going well but training had been going well for the rest of the team.
"Now it is about going through the motions and making sure we are in the best possible shape."
