Wales' Elinor Barker wins gold medal in team pursuit

The winning team celebrate their victory

Wales' Elinor Barker has claimed a gold medal in cycling after Team GB stormed to success in the team pursuit.

Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Barker and Katie Archibald clocked a time of four minutes 10.236 seconds to beat the USA in world record time.

Barker emulated the gold achieved by fellow Cardiff cyclist Owain Doull in the men's team pursuit last night.

"What do people say at a time like this? It is incredible," Barker said.

"It felt like the race just flashed by a bit, but when I saw the time we did, I think it was no wonder I was struggling a little bit."

The 21-year old is competing in her first Olympic games.

Team GB's Laura Trott won a record third gold medal.

Barker's gold success earned Wales a seventh Olympic podium position after Doull's gold, two silvers for swimmer Jazz Carlin and second places for rower Vicky Thornley and Rugby Sevens stars James Davies and Sam Cross.

Becky James subsequently won Wales' eighth medal in the keirin by achieving a silver medal.

This medal haul now eclipses Wales' best of seven that was achieved at London 2012 with another week of competition remaining.

Wales have now won five cycling gold medals in the past three Olympic Games.

They had not won an Olympic title in 36 years when Nicole Cooke stormed to women's road race gold in 2008 - the first Welsh cycling medal ever at an Olympics.

But since Cooke's win in Beijing, Wales have won three more cycling gold medals with Barker also emulating Geraint Thomas in 2008 and 2012.

The showdown between Britain and USA was perfectly poised after sensational runs in qualification.

The Americans lowered the mark set by Britain in qualifying, recording a time of four minutes, 12.282 seconds to break the world record.

However, Team GB's Trott, Rowsell-Shand, Barker and Archibald eclipsed that in beating Canada, stopping the clock at 4:12.152.