Chinese keep rising on the world cycling stage

When Guo Shuang competed at the Laoshan velodrome during the Beijing Games she had the weight of the host nation on her shoulders as she chased China's first Olympic gold medal in the sport.

That pressure proved too much as she fell in her semifinal heat and thus the country's golden dream was crushed.

Two years on, and China's hopes of finally breaking through and winning gold at the London Games are much stronger thanks to a more experienced Guo and a number of compatriots who are now capable of keeping up with the 23-year-old at top-class competitions.