Emma Pooley

Sport: Cycling

Nation: Great Britain

DOB: October 3, 1982

Career Highlights: British road cyclist Emma Pooley will be amongst the favourites to medal in both the road race and time trial at the London 2012 Olympic Games. A university cross-country runner, Pooley took up cycling after picking up a running injury and has gone on to be World and British time trial champion and national road race champion. A relative unknown going into the 2008 Olympics, she was part of the team that helped Nicole Cooke to gold in the road race before announcing herself on the international stage with a silver in the time trial behind American cyclist Kristin Armstrong. Victory in the 2009 British time trial came alongside major stage wins in the same season, and Pooley’s victory in the Tour de L’Aude in 2010 cemented her place amongst the sport’s elite. Also in 2010 Pooley pipped compatriot Nicole Cooke to the British road race title, claiming a national double with a win in the time trial, and her potential was realised as she claimed the rainbow jersey with victory at the 2010 World Time Trial Championships. Pooley’s competition with Cooke for top spot in the Team GB challenge for road race gold will be intense, while Germany’s Judith Arndt and New Zealand’s Linda Villumsen finished on the podium along with Pooley in both the 2010 and 2011 World Time Trial Championships.

Olympic History: None