Pooley storms to Silver in Time Trial

There was a superb performance and a silver medal for GB's Emma Pooley in the Women's Time Trial, behind Kristin Armstrong of the USA. It was GB's first ever medal in a Road Time Trial at the Olympics and a result which caught many experts off-guard.

Cycling Time Trial Beijing 08 Armstrong, Pooley and Thurig

photo Casey Gibson/US Cycing

Pooley is an emerging talent, who at the age of 25 has rocketed into the world's elite during a stunning 12 months. Top tens in both the Road Race and Time Trial at last year's hilly world championships in Stuttgart in Germany marked her all-round talent and was a hint of what she could do.

The elite women have less opportunity to display their Time Trial talents than their male counterparts, so Pooley's ride was certainly not widely expected. Her recent win in the Tour of Brittany included a Time Trial stage win, but even eighth in her debut at the worlds in Stuttgart last year - on a hilly course which suited her, much as the Olympic course has - didn't fully suggest the talents she displayed in a ride which was most remarkable for its confidence and pacing.

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1 Kristin Armstrong (USA) 0.34.51
2 Emma Pooley (Great Britain) 0.35.16
3 Karin Thurig (Switzerland) 0.35.50
4 Jeannie Longo-ciprelli (France) 0.35.52
5 Christine Thorburn (USA) 0.35.54
6 Judith Arndt (Germany) 0.35.59
7 Susanne Ljungskog (Sweden) 0.36.20
8 Christiane Soeder (Austria) 0.36.20
9 Priska Doppmann (Switzerland) 0.36.27
10 Zulfiya Zabirova (Kazakhstan) 0.36.29
11 Emma Johansson (Sweden) 0.36.33
12 Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) 0.36.35
13 Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) 0.36.37
14 Linda Melanie Villumsen Serup (Denmark) 0.36.50
15 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) 0.36.57
16 Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) 0.37.14
17 Min Gao (China) 0.37.15
18 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Netherlands) 0.37.51
19 Marta Vilajosana (Spain) 0.37.54
20 Oenone Wood (Australia) 0.38.53
21 Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania) 0.38.55
22 Natalia Boyarskaya (Russia) 0.38.55
23 Alexandra Wrubleski (Canada) 0.39.15
24 Lang Meng (China) 0.40.51
25 Maryline Salvetat (France) 0

Split times at 10.8km
1 Emma Pooley (Great Britain) 0.20.46
2 Kristin Armstrong (USA) 0.20.47
3 Jeannie Longo-ciprelli (France) 0.21.12
4 Karin Thurig (Switzerland) 0.21.22
5 Judith Arndt (Germany) 0.21.46
6 Priska Doppmann (Switzerland) 0.21.47
7 Zulfiya Zabirova (Kazakhstan) 0.21.48
8 Natalia Boyarskaya (Russia) 0.21.51
9 Min Gao (China) 0.22.08
10 Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) 0.22.16
11 Maryline Salvetat (France) 0.22.33
12 Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) 0.22.36
13 Emma Johansson (Sweden) 0.23.04
14 Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania) 0.23.04
15 Alexandra Wrubleski (Canada) 0.23.36
16 Lang Meng (China) 0.24.53