KEY POINTS:
A young team of cyclists can create more Olympic history for New Zealand tonight when they race for a bronze medal in the teams pursuit.
The riders obliterated their New Zealand record as they qualified third-fastest for tonight's finals in which they will race for the bronze against Australia.
If they win, it will boost New Zealand's total track cycling medals to four, and Hayden Roulston will become the first New Zealand rider to mount the Olympic podium more than once.
The Ashburton 27-year-old, back on the bike less than 24 hours after winning his silver in the individual pursuit, led the team in a commanding 4000m race against the Spanish to make the finals in a time of 3min 57.536sec, which was 1.74 seconds faster than the record they set in the morning session.
Others in the team were Sam Bewley and Jesse Sergent, both 20, and Marc Ryan, 25.
Their chance of a slot in the gold-silver contest looked slim after the Danish clocked 3min 56.831sec in the first race, a shade outside the Olympic record.
In the last race, Britain confirmed their hot favourite status and lowered their own world record by more than a second with 3min 55.205sec.
Australia's time of 3min 58.633sec was the slowest of tonight's finalists.
Bewley said they were disappointed not to be in the gold medal ride
"We're all pretty upset because we had a chance to win an Olympic title, but what can you do when there's four other teams riding just as fast?
"I never thought there would be a day when I'd ride 3.57 and be disappointed but tonight's the night."
Another Kiwi cycling hope, Alison Shanks, came up less than three seconds short when she made a brave pitch for bronze in the velodrome last night.
Shanks, 25, knocked out pre-race favourite Sarah Hammer, of the United States, to make the ride-off for third in the 3000m individual pursuit.
But she could not overpower 21-year-old Ukrainian Lesya Kalitovska, who won the bronze with a ride of 3min 31.413s.
The Dunedin rider was 2.743s behind in 3min 34.156s.
After Kalitovska took the lead from the start, Shanks fought to whittle it down, closing the gap to 1.108 seconds at the 2000m mark.
But her opponent poured on the power over the last kilometre.
Two British riders, Rebecca Romero and Wendy Houvenaghel, rode off for gold. Romero, who won a rowing silver medal in Athens, triumphed in a time of 3min 28.321s.
Shanks, who took up cycling three years ago when she switched from a representative netball career with the Otago Rebels, said she was glad to have made the finals after such a short time in the sport.
"I'm pretty gutted because ... you're there to race for a bronze medal and fourth really hurts," she said.
"But I came in with expectations of a top-eight and to get three rides and a place in the top eight, I've got to be happy."
