Aylesbury's Josie Knight's all ready for Commonwealth Games test

Josie Knight celebrates bronze in the Women's 500m Time Trial final at the UCI Track Nations Cup in Glasgow in April. Photo: Getty.

The 25-year-old’s career has been a runaway train in the last 18 months, the Olympic silver medallist now standing on the cusp of her first Commonwealth competition – the cycling to be held at the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome.

And she’s raring to go as she attempts to add to her honours.

She said: “It’s incredibly special to be going to the Commonwealth Games. I’ve come on a lot as a rider in the last year and I’m feeling more confident of my place in the team.

“For a while, I was the extra who just popped up, was I going to be good enough. We’re in a great place as a group now moving forward."

Knight is one of more than 1,100 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science, and medical support.

Knight rode all three rounds in Tokyo Olympics as Team GB earned team pursuit silver behind Germany, who won gold in world record time.

She won individual pursuit bronze at her first Track World Cup in Glasgow earlier this year, paving the way for that solo event to be her focus at a maiden Commonwealth Games.

“It’s a very honest event, isn’t it,” she said. “You’re by yourself, doing 12 laps as fast as you can.

"There aren’t any external factors that can influence your result, it’s just going as hard as you can for 3km.

“The technical side of it, the strategy, whether you’re going to go hard and die off or evenly-pace it. I find it fascinating.

“Riding for England is a big honour,” she said. “It’s going to be one of the biggest events of the year, for sure, it’s the multi-sport format and riding for your home nation.

“My grandad is the proudest English person I know, and he will be chuffed, to be doing it for him is very special. This is a massive deal for me.”

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