Former world champion Kristin Armstrong of the United States captured Olympic gold in the women's road cycling time trial at the Beijing Games while French legend Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli missed a medal by a fraction, dpa reported.
Armstrong, who turned 35 on Monday, covered the hilly 23.5-kilometres between the Badaling and JuYongGuan sections of the Great Wall of China course in 34 minutes 51.72 seconds.
Emma Pooley of Britain took silver with 35:16.01 and the bronze medal went to Karin Thurig in 35:50.99.
"I have been working for the last eight years for this medal," said Armstrong, who shed tears of joy shortly after the big win.
It was the first Olympic success for Armstrong. But the American has a full set of medals from the worlds, gold 2006, silver in 2007 and bronze in 2005.
The 1996 road race gold medallist and nine-time world champion Longo-Ciprelli, who turns 50 in October, almost captured her sixth Olympic medal, but with a time of 35:52.62 fell less then two seconds short of bronze.
The men's time trial was set for later Wednesday.