Cycling at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games:

Since 2004, Australia and Great Britain had traded titles in the team pursuit. Australia won the gold medal in 2004 and the World Championships in 2004 and 2006, while Britain was World Champion in 2005, 2007, and 2008. But Great Britain had been dominating track cycling in Beijing and it continued in the team pursuit. They led the qualifying round 3:57.101 and the fourth heat of the quarter-finals overtook Russia as they broke the world record with 3:55.202. Australia qualified in third place behind New Zealand but did not advance to the gold medal race. The gold medal went to Great Britain as it easily defeated the Danish team and again broke the world record, this time with 3:53.314. New Zealand outrode Australia to win the bronze.