Kristin Armstrong wins third women's time-trial gold as Emma Pooley hopes collapse in Rio rain

American Armstrong - champion in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 - managed to overhaul second-placed Russian Olga Zabelinskaya by five-and-a-half seconds to win a third straight gold. It remarkably came a day before the Memphis woman turns 43.

She completed the course in a time of 44:26.42 before dropping to her knees, nose bleeding amid tears of joy at producing such an astonishing ride in such dreadful conditions.

Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands claimed bronze by finishing third.

Compatriot Ellen van Dijk went off the road and had to be helped back on her bike attempting to climb a hill as the demands of the controversial course and weather took a heavy toll on the riders.

The world time-trial champion Linda Villumsen of New Zealand finished 22 seconds slower than Zabelinskaya, who thought she had the gold under lock and key until Armstrong produced a stunning final surge to complete the victory amid conditions that witnessed several riders almost crash in the gloom of some saturated roads.

Armstrong is the first person to win the same road cycling event at three Olympics.

British hope Pooley had finished second in Beijing back in 2008 , but her hopes seemed to submerge at times in the driving rain as a time of 46:31.98 ended up more than two minutes behind the winner.

Zabelinskaya won a bronze in London four years ago, but served an 18-month ban for doping between the two Olympic Games.