And so then there were four, as British Cycling confirmed that the trio of riders who would appear on the track at the London 2012 Velodrome would be chosen from the 2008 Olympic individual pursuit silver medallist Wendy Houvenaghel, double world champion Jo Rowsell, and the two young riders who have emerged with perfect timing for London 2012 – 19-year-old Laura Trott and 21-year-old Dani King.


King's rise has been the most dramatic. When she was drafted into the team alongside Trott and Houvenaghel for this year's World Championships in Apeldoorn, Holland, in March – in place of Rowsell – the GB head coach Shane Sutton suggested a comparison with Jason Kenny, who emerged from relative obscurity to earn gold at the Beijing Games.

"She's the big surprise," Sutton said. "But we have to go with the evidence and the evidence is that she is ready. It could be the same story as Jason Kenny. No one has heard of her and now she has a massive opportunity."

At that time King had been a part of the Olympic squad for only a few weeks, having spent two years off the programme following a year in which she had failed to make the grade in the Olympic development programme as a sprinter.

As she reflected upon a year of startling achievement – the world title was followed by team pursuit victories in the European and European Under-23 Championships – King could hardly contain her excitement.

Joining the team pursuit squad at the start of the year, when it contained almost a dozen top class contenders, was a massive challenge. But she made it clear that she was never likely to become over-awed.

"I definitely thought I could do it," she said. "Why even try if you don't think you can make it? That has always been my mentality.

"A lot of people in my position could have thought 'if British Cycling don't want me, I am not good enough.'

"I was a bit of an outcast, but there was such a good atmosphere between all the girls. When I look at the talent there and now I'm in the final four. It's unbelievable how much I've achieved this year.

"It has been absolutely incredible. I couldn't possibly have asked for any more."

But as 2012 rolls up, King is asking for more. The main request is an Olympic gold medal in the team pursuit. And, oh yes, maybe another in the omnium, the six-discipline event combining speed and endurance which will make its Olympic debut in London, where she looks like she will be battling for the place with her young colleague Trott, who won the event at this year's European Championships.

King has won silver medals in the omnium at the European Under-23 Championships and the recent World Cup in Kazakhstan, where she achieved personal bests in each timed element.

"When I was offered the opportunity to do the omnium I grabbed it with both hands," she said. "The events really suit me, and I have an open mind about them.

"I have won two silvers in the omnium so far, which shows it is an event in which I could potentially perform. But my 100% commitment is to the team pursuit and all our work will be based on that.

"If I get the opportunity to do the omnium as well I will be absolutely ecstatic and I will be doing all I can to get a medal – but I have to get into the team pursuit to get a chance.

"I just hope it all continues now into next year and beyond. I just worked so, so hard to get back into the programme. Now I want to be part of the team that hopefully wins gold in London."

After her year as a sprinter, King spent the two years as, in her phrase, "an outcast", combining the track with competition on the roads, first for Cooke's former Vision 1 team, and this year for the Horizon Fitness team. She also found herself a new coach in Courtney Rowe.

King explained how she had re-engaged the attention of British Cycling by becoming part of the trio which won the team pursuit at the national championships in September 2010. Soon afterwards she received an email from Olympic champion Paul Manning, now in charge of endurance coaching, inviting her to rejoin squad training. By February she was a full squad member.


"I worked very hard to get the results I needed, and British Cycling saw that and were happy to say 'Yeah, you've proved yourself, here's another chance.'

"My parents have been a massive support to me. They have never been pushy parents – but they have always helped me with my ambition, which is to be the best I can be on the bike."

If King does secure a ride at London 2012 she will become the second Olympian in her family. Her father, Trevor, competed for Team GB biathlon in the biathlon at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and Sarajevo.

"Dad has that background in the Olympics, and he supports me through all the ups and downs in the sport," King said. "He comes out with me on the bike. He will come through to the garage when I am cycling on the turbo and give me encouragement."

Having been a county standard breast-stroke swimmer and a good runner, King said she was surprised to have been picked out for sprint training by British Cycling soon after being selected as a 14-year-old by the Olympic Talent team.

"When I first came into the GB team I was a sprinter, despite having an endurance background. I was surprised at first, and we had a lot of conversations about it, but I was not from a cycling background and so no one really knew what potential I had as a cyclist. They were the experts, and I was happy with the idea.

"Even though it didn't work out for me, I wouldn't change that year I spent in sprinting. It has been very helpful to me for the flying lap in the omnium, and you have to be fast off the mark in the team pursuit too."

In terms of role models, King says she looks up to Kelly Holmes, who came through an athletics career perpetually undermined by injury to win gold in the Olympic 800 and 1500m.


"Kelly had so many knockbacks and she always got on with things and came through them," King said. "She has been really inspirational to me.

As far as cyclist role models go, King mentions four-times Olympic champion Chris Hoy. "He has been the complete role model for me really in every aspect both on and off the bike," she said. "When I was away with him at the World Cup in Kazakhstan he was fantastic in helping me prepare on and off the bike."

King will be using all that advice in 2012 as she plans to keep "working and pushing."

While some of her team-mates are preparing for the third leg of the World Cup series in Beijing from January 13-15, King is planning to return to racing at the next World Cup at the London Olympic Velodrome – where she fervently hopes to return later in the year.

She added: "Years ago I aspired to be a world and Olympic champion and that's what I've always wanted to do. We've won the worlds. The next one is the Olympic gold."

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, has covered the past five Summer and four Winter Olympics for The Independent. Previously he has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. He is now chief feature writer for insidethegames. Rowbottom's Twitter feed can be accessed here.