London 2012 Olympics: Cycling trio add to golden hoard

JOANNA Rowsell, Dani King and Laura Trott became Britain’s new cycling heroes after a stunning performance saw them claim gold in the team pursuit.

The trio, all aged 23 or under, set a world record as they clocked a blistering time of 3min 14sec in the three-woman, three-kilometre event.

Their success, which prompted yet more jubilant scenes at the London 2012 velodrome, means Team GB’s cycling squad has won four golds from five events at the venue after victories in the men’s team sprint and team pursuit and Victoria Pendleton’s keirin triumph.

Following yesterday’s scintillating team pursuit victory, 20-year-old Trott said: “It’s mad, I actually can’t believe it. It was my dream – it’s been my dream since I was eight and we’ve just gone and done it.”

King said that her team mates had become “like sisters” in the run-up to the 
Olympics. “This feels amazing – we’ve won gold and we’ve done it in front of an incredible home crowd,” she added.

Rowsell said Team GB’s preparation gave them an advantage over other nations, after they crushed their American opponents in the final.

“Other nations have really raised their game so it’s great that we are leading the way,” she said. “The atmosphere was tremendous and the crowd helped drive us on.”

After the event, Rowsell, from Surrey, who has become a poster girl for alopecia sufferers after speaking about how the hair loss condition spurred her on to success on the track, proudly pulled off her helmet to reveal her bald head. The team were cheered to victory by Paul McCartney, who led the crowd in a version of Hey Jude.