British women win gold in cycling team pursuit
The British trio of Laura Trott, Dani King and Joanna Rowsell win gold in the women’s cycling team pursuit setting a new world record.
The cycling win is Team GB’s eleventh gold medal of London 2012.
The result never looked in doubt as Britain beat the USA by more than five seconds in the final.
The reigning world champions’ triumph continued an outstanding vein of form for British cyclists.
“The crowd were absolutely fantastic and they really pushed us on through the last kilometre,” said Rowsell.
“The last couple of laps we could just about see them, but we had to keep pushing to the finish. I knew we could do it. Getting the world record is a bonus but it’s all about this gold medal.”
Laura Trott from Cheshunt added: “It’s just mad! I feel very emotional because this has been my dream since I was eight, and we’ve only gone and done it!”
And King, 21 and from Southampton, added: “That was fantastic I just can’t believe we’ve actually done it!”
Read more: The alternative Olympic medal table
‘It’s crazy’
While they had been tipped for success at the Games, their rise to the top had not always been predictable.
Rowsell has become a poster girl for alopecia after speaking about how the hair loss condition spurred her on to success on the track.
Kingfeared her career as an elite cyclist could be over in 2009 after suffering from glandular fever and tonsillitis.
The 20-year-old, whose father Trevor competed at two Winter Games, wrote on Twitter earlier today: “So proud to be part of this team!”
A relative newcomer to cycling having competed at county level in swimming and running in her teens, she skipped a maths lesson to try out for the British Cycling Talent Team.
Speaking about her selection for Team GB, King said: “It’s crazy. I have come from nowhere.”
Trott, 20, for Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, was cheered on in the velodrome by her sister, Emma, also a cyclist, wearing a giant glove carrying the slogan “no surrender”.
The sisters were introduced to the sport by their mother, Glenda, as she sought to slim down from her size 24 figure.
Little did Mrs Trott know that her fitness drive would result in Olympic success for her daughter.
Their medal win follows a series of cycling golds in the velodrome including in the women’s keirin, men’s team pursuit and men’s team sprint.
Earlier in the day Team GB won its ninth and tenth gold medals of the Olympics as the men’s rowing four and the women’s lightweight double both triumph at Eton Dorney.
