Joanna Rowsell and the Team GB women’s pursuit team struck gold in the Velodrome this afternoon, breaking the world record twice in the process.

Rowsell was joined in the squad again by Dani King and Laura Trott and the trio were in sensational form straight from the word go.

After breaking their own world record yesterday with a time of 3.15.699 in the qualifying stages, the girls outdid themselves in round one, setting the bar even higher for the rest of the field.

Coming up against Canada, Rowsell and co beat their best by over a second to establish another new world record, clocking 3.14.682.

Team GB overcame Canada to advance but the Canadians time was fast enough to see them through to the bronze medal race which they would go on to win.

Britain faced off against the United States in the final after the Americans had seen off the challenge of Australia.

And as soon as the race began, the result was never in question.

Team GB charged away from the start line and such was their margin of victory, they might have overtaken the Americans had the race lasted a couple more laps.

But the 12 circuits were more than enough for Rowsell and the squad to ease their way to victory, smashing their own world record again in a time of 3.14.051 – over half-a-second quicker than their best from earlier in the day and the sixth time they have broken the world record in six races.

And Rowsell was understandably overjoyed with her achievement.

“It feels absolutely amazing. It hasn’t sunk in yet and I don’t think it will for a while,” she explained.

“We have got the best support staff in the world and that just makes the difference. It is all about those marginal gains.

“We have got the best mechanics, the best sports scientists and the best performance analysts. We all come together and everyone deserves a slice of this medal really.”

The women’s team pursuit was included in the Olympic programme for the first time this year, meaning the trio are the first ever Olympic gold medallists in the event.

And Rowsell added that it was a dream come true to top the podium in her home Games.

She continued: “It was about three years ago that it was announced that the team pursuit was going to be brought into the London Olympics.

“That was just a dream come true for me as at the time I was already the current world champion in the event and I just couldn’t believe it that it was going to be in my home Olympics.

“So to be the first ever winners of this event at the Olympics is incredible. We have made history and broken the world record a few times along the way.”