Olympic track cycling: Germany awarded gold after China relegated

World champions Germany were crowned Olympic women's team sprint gold winners in controversial circumstances following the relegation of China.

Guo Shuang and Gong Jinjie thought they had won gold when they finished in a time of 32.619 seconds compared to Germany's 32.798.

But officials announced that China had been relegated for an overtake infringement, with Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte awarded gold.

Australia beat Ukraine to bronze.

Earlier, Britain's Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish saw their hopes of gold vanish after being relegated for a takeover infringement.

The British pair were quicker than Ukraine in their semi-final but broke the overtake rules when Pendleton overlapped Varnish's wheel too early.

Jinjie and Shuang twice set world records in qualifying, clocking an all-time best of 32.422 in the semi-final.

However, officials ruled their takeover in the final was illegal, handing the ecstatic Germans the gold medal.

Australia's Anna Meares and Kaarle McCulloch claimed bronze ahead of Ukraine in a time of 32.727.