Team GB's Emma Pooley disappoints as Kristin Armstrong takes gold

Great Britain's Emma Pooley in action in today's women's time trial (Getty Images)

Beijing time trial silver medallist Emma Pooley finished a deeply disappointing sixth in today’s equivalent women’s event, won for a second time running by USA veteran Kristin Armstrong.

Although the rolling course did not suit the lightly built Pooley, the 2010 World Time Trial Champion made no excuses for her defeat, saying afterwards “I’m not going to whinge about it, it [the course] was the same for everybody.”

"It's more disappointing when you think you might have a chance of getting a medal. When you don't... it's the mistake of being an optimist, I should've been more pessimistic.”
Fourth early on in the first intermediate checkpoint, despite the support form the huge crowds of British fans lining the route, Pooley finally faded to sixth after struggling in the second part of the coruse.

After taking silver in the women’s road-race on Sunday, despite time trialling not being her speciality, Yorkshire’s Lizzie Armitstead -  GB's other participant -  nonethless finished a respectable tenth.
American Armstrong’s victory came after she briefly retired from the sport in 2009 to raise a family, but despite breaking her collarbone in May the former double World Champion returned to racing for her second straight Olympic title.

"This is an amazing moment," she said. "A lot of people ask me what the differences were between this and Beijing. I would say this was a much more difficult journey."