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 persuer is declared the winner, otherwise, the first one to complete the required distance (usually eight laps of the 500-metre track) is declared the winner.

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