Sporting Life - Summer Olympics - Beijing 2008

Nicole Cooke not only had the sweet taste of gold after winning the cycling road race in Beijing, but had the added bonus of redemption after suffering heartbreak in Athens.

When Cooke came home in fifth place in Athens, she was close to speechless such was the disappointment - but the test of a true champion is how they respond to the bad times more than the good.

Fast forward four years and this time Cooke was letting out a yelp of excitement as she flew over the finish line next to the Great Wall of China.

Finally, all Cooke's hard work had paid off, finally she had delivered the gold medal she felt she deserved, and finally she buried the ghosts of Athens that had haunted her for four long years.

The race itself was right up Cooke's street.

After waiting for long years for another crack at Olympic glory, the monsoon-like rain that lashed the cyclists along the 75-mile course was never going to be enough to stop her going for gold.

Climb

The punishing climb up to the finish was also no match for Cooke, and when it became a sheer battle of desire, who wanted it more, who could not face getting off that bike without knowing they were the Olympic champion - there was only going to be one winner.

"Athens is another story," Cooke said, still not wanting to go over the old ground of her Greek tragedy.

"We are here in Beijing and it is about making the best of the race here.

"There are no thoughts about Athens. Immediately after I learnt from it and thought about what I might do differently and try to put into place this time.

"But Beijing and the build-up was its own story, its own journey."

The realisation of a lifelong dream, not to mention erasing so much pain from Athens, all came out in the 25-year-old's celebrations when crossing the line.

"It was just joy," she said.

"There was just so much emotion coming out that I wasn't composed enough to give a proper salute but I guess that's just the person I am."

Swansea-born Cooke had team-mates Emma Pooley and Sharon Laws to thank for her win with the increased strength in depth helping to get Cooke in a position to power away at the finish.

"Nicole could watch and wait because the other riders know what Emma can do on her own, so they were thinking, would she ride away or was she bluffing?" said manager Julian Winn.

"We felt the Germans were the most dangerous and they were put on the defensive. One was using up all her energy chasing and Trixi Worrack, their best rider, was flapping."

Ambition

Cooke has seven national titles under her belt - the first of which came when she was still only 16, but in the past the strength of other countries as a team have hindered her golden ambitions.

Such was Cooke's confidence, she allowed the leading pack to leave her behind at the final bend before the climb to the finish, but she knew that she had the legs to go on to victory.

"You could see how shiny the corner was, it was very greasy round there. I knew that I was strong, I knew there would be a lull," Cooke said.

"They wouldn't be able to go round the corner and take it on. So, I could take it steady round the corner.

"They hadn't started sprinting yet so I could choose my position and then get on with the race."

It was also a welcome change in fortunes for Cooke's father - arrested in Athens four years ago for trying to pain his daughter's name on the road - as he watched from the comfort of his home in South Wales.

"When I called them it sounded like they had half the village in the house," Cooke said.