British women thrash United States in world record time to win gold in team pursuit
By IAN STAFFORD
|
Another gold medal, another world record and another show of jubilant Union Flag-waving in the Olympic velodrome.
This is what Britain's track cyclists do almost as the norm, and last night it was the turn of the women's team pursuiters to send a packed and unashamedly partisan crowd home from 'the Pringle' stadium in raptures.
The incredible trio of Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott and Dani King not only won the Olympic title, they smashed their own world record.
Golden girls: Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott celebrate their win the women's pursuit
In a week of gold medals from the men's sprinters, team pursuiters and Victoria Pendleton, this was perhaps the most impressive performance of the lot.
The fact that they did win gold was not the greatest surprise.
They had announced their intentions on Friday night with a world record in qualifying. It was a fourth successive world best following the test event at the Olympic Park in the spring and then in the semis and final of the world championships in Melbourne.
Defeat would have been the unexpected, not victory.
In truth, the girls were bigger favourites than 'Queen Vic', the men's teams and even the knight that is Sir Chris.
This, of all the track cycling events in a golden week, was Team GB's banker. But the manner in which they stormed to their triumph, the panache, the ease with which they stretched the boundaries of their sport, still took the breath away from the expectant, capacity, 5,800 crowd. 
Dream team: Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell stormed through to win gold
Their final opponents, nothing more than lambs to the slaughter, were the USA, who had surprised Australia in their semi-final.
It made no difference who they were.By the end of the final they trailed the British girls by more than five long seconds. Astonishing.
Incredibly, there is still so much more to come from the golden threesome. Trott, just 20 years old, could well add a second Olympic gold in the women's omnium which starts tomorrow, having claimed the world title in April in the same event.
She regularly throws up after every race, such is the release of nerves. Last night, however, sporting Union Flag painted nails, she was composure personified.
King, 21, was only invited to trial for the team pursuit by coach Paul Manning in November, 2010. Four months later she was world champion.
Party time: Laura Trott of Great Britain celebrates winning the gold medal and breaking the world record
Her father, Trevor, competed for Britain in the biathlon at two Winter Olympics but never got close to a medal. His daughter now has a gold to add to her two world titles.
And then there is Joanna Rowsell, the old woman of the trio at the ripe old age of 23.
She has overcome the confidence-shattering condition that is alopecia thanks to her excellence on a bike and she wore the biggest smile of the lot.
The team had posted their ambitions again in yesterday afternoon's first round against Canada which was, to all intents and purposes, a semi-final.
With their streamlined helmets, shaved legs and straight backs, they resembled a relentless machine - never more than a few inches apart at high speed with minimal margin for error.
The 250m oval, banking from 12 degrees at its shallowest to a frightening 42 degrees at its steepest, seemed like a second home to the Britons.
They took a commanding lead inside the first lap and when they finished 12 laps and 3000 metres they had beaten their world record again, reducing the fastest time ever recorded in this event from Friday night's time of 3:15:669 to 3:14:68.
Blur: The women's pursuit team broke the world record for a sixth successive time
As they dismounted their bikes, the trio barely smiled. They had now made it five world records in five successive rides, yet there was still a gold medal to be won.
Two hours later they returned, to be met by a huge cheer which grew to a deafening crescendo led by Sir Paul McCartney and IOC president Jacques Rogge. Britain demolished their American rivals.
It was as one-sided as you will ever see in a team pursuit final. After just two laps they led by a second which extended to 1.5sec by the six-lap, halfway stage.
It was already game over but the British girls, showing a ruthlessness bordering on cruelty, were not finished.
Even the girls seemed surprised when they looked up at the scoreboard and saw another world record, this time 3:14:051 - a sixth in succession.
Cue the tears of joy, the hugs with family and a long, standing ovation. And so the never-ending story of glorious British success on two wheels continues.
Last year's green jersey in the Tour de France, the world championship title, both courtesy of Mark Cavendish, first and second in the Tour last month through Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, the Olympic time trial gold with Sir Wiggo again and now four golds inside the velodrome.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2183635/London-2012-Olympics-Great-Britain-team-pursuit-close-gold.html#ixzz22iK3mkA7