Individual Time Trial, Women

The women time trial was one lap of the 23.5 km. Beijing road course, which was highlighted by the steep climb up and down the Badaling section along the Great Wall. The weather was cool and cloudy, with a light wind. Britain’s Emma Pooley was the fifth starter of 25, but set a very fast time. Her time held up until America’s Kristin Armstrong, the 19th starter, went off. Armstrong trailed Pooley’s pace thru the first half of the race, but was stronger on the downhill sections and won by just over 24 seconds. Armstrong had been World Champion in 2006 and runner-up in 2007. Switzerland’s Karin Thürig, the 2004-05 World Champion, started ninth and would finish third for the bronze medal, repeating her finish from 2004. Cycling legend Jeannie Longo (FRA), racing in her seventh Olympics, placed fourth, just over a second behind Thurig. Pooley’s silver medal was a reward for her work in the road race, where she rode for her teammate, Nicole Cooke, who won the gold medal.