London's silver pedal

A London cyclist today won Britain a seventh Olympic medal.

Emma Pooley took silver in the women's time trial despite being an outsider for the event, held in the shadow of the Great Wall of China.

The 25-year-old beat the world champion and several favourites, completing the 23.8km (14.8 mile) course in 35 minutes 24 seconds, behind American Kristin Armstrong who won gold.

The Wandsworth athlete only took up cycling aged 11 because she wanted to spend time with her father while he was running.

After finishing the event Pooley, asked if she had a race plan, replied: "No, you just have to ride like you never have to breathe again. Today, I just concentrated on riding as fast as I could, being absolutely smooth and enjoying myself without anyone to push me off."

She added: "It helps being positive and nervous, because you've been waiting four years for this. I was enjoying going fast. It was pretty fun, I just kept saying, 'faster faster'."

Pooley, a PhD student at Cambridge University, now lives in Switzerland and this is her first Olympic Games.

As a teenager she took part in duathlon events, where competitors run, then cycle, then run and later competed in triathlons but at Cambridge she was persuaded by a friend to choose cycling after suffering a running injury.

Three years ago Pooley competed for the first time, for her university team - making her rise to Olympic silver all the more of an achievement. The soil engineering student moved to Zurich to further her cycling career and now rides for a small Americansponsored professional team.

Last year was her most successful, culminating in coming in the top 10 places in the time trial and road race at the World Championships - now far eclipsed by her medal.

Asked if there was any secret to her success, she said: "There's no secret, you just have to make it hurt. Imagine a friend sitting on your wheel, shouting at you."

This was her second event of the Games after she competed in the road race with team-mate Nicole Cooke on Sunday.

She finished in 23rd position while Cooke stormed ahead to claim Team GB's first gold of the Olympics. Today Cooke, in her final event of the Games, came in at 15th place and collapsed exhausted at the finishing line.

Pooley revealed: "I almost gave up two years ago but then went to Australia and just loved cycling again.

"You don't get paid a lot of money so it is all about enjoyment and glory. I had to start to enjoy it again."

She now plans a champagne celebration with Cooke, and may take time to catch up on the sport she says she most enjoys watching - endurance walking.