Kristin Armstrong of the United States has won the gold medal in the Women’s Individual Time Trial at the Beijing Olympics. Emma Pooley of Great Britain set an early fast time, though was reduced to the silver medal by the exceptional performance of Armstrong in the second half of the one-lap, 23.5km course up and down a vertical climb all along the Badaling section of the Great Wall. Karin Thurig of Switzerland secured the bronze medal by keeping a pace of two seconds more than that of Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli of France.

 

Armstrong was four seconds slower than Pooley at the apex of the main climbing section, but she accelerated in the second half of the course to win in 34:51.72 (40.445kph). This medal is Armstrong’s first in Olympic competition and the first by the Cycling team of the USA in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Pooley, a trained engineer, did well to secure silver in 35:16.01. Karin Thurig received a second consecutive Olympic bronze medal by concluding well in 35:50.99.