CYCLING queen Dani King is back at her Hampshire home today with a new world record – and thankful illness did not ruin her historic win.

The 20-year-old from Hamble enjoyed a dream day at the Olympic Velodrome in London after being called up to race in the team pursuit UCI World Cup final and smashing a second off the best time.

But beforehand she was dogged by a viral infection that limited her training and threatened to derail her progress ahead of the Olympics.

“In selection week and running up to the competition I was really run down,” she said.

Dani’s heart sank when she was not selected to race but was ready when she was called up to replace Olympic silver medallist Wendy Houvenaghel.

She said: “The viral infection was worrying and it was gutting for me not being selected.

“I could not imagine being in this position and it made it even better when we won.”

Back at home, Dani has watched the team’s performance.

“It was just so amazing when we crossed the line and heard we had broken the world record,” she said.

Dani’s father Trevor King told the Daily Echo how his daughter’s competitive cycling started at Hamble Community Sports College when she took part in a Great Britain trial “to get out of her maths lesson”.

He said: “She beat the boys but that was her first experience of riding under timed conditions.”

And Trevor remembers holding on to Dani’s seat as she learned to ride as a child.

“I didn’t have to hold on for long though as she always gives 100 per cent,” he said.

Trevor and Dani’s mum Lynn went through a rollercoaster ride of emotions on Friday.

Trevor said: “Our feelings were up and down. We went there knowing Dani was not riding but found out at 11 o’clock that she was in and it changed to excitement.

“And when they won and broke the world record words escaped me.

“It was unbelievable.”

Dani, a former Barton Peveril College student, will not find out if she will ride back at the Velodrome in the Olympics until the weeks before.

She celebrated her win by going shopping with boyfriend Matt Rowe in London before heading home, where she said she will enjoy “a few duvet days” before heading off to Majorca on Wednesday for ten days’ training.