Individual pursuit

In track cycling, the individual pursuit is an event where two cyclists begin their race from a stationary position (held by gates) on opposite sides of the track. If one cyclist manages to catch the other, the successful pursuer is declared the winner, otherwise, the first one to complete the required distance (usually 4000 metres for men, 3000 metres for women) is declared the winner.

Competitions are decided on a knock-out format, with the competitors with the best recent results seeded so that they do not meet each other until later rounds.