BOISE -- Boise's Kristin Armstrong pedaled to victory in Rio Wednesday morning, clinching her third Olympic gold in the cycling time trial.
Armstrong completed the trial with a time of 44.26.42, a narrow lead over the next closest competitor, Russia's Olga Zabelinskaya. She suffered a nosebleed during the race, but looked focused and determined as she cycled toward the finish line.
Windy, damp weather and a wet road provided an additional challenge in the event, which features individual cyclists racing against the clock along a marked course.
The win marks the 10th gold medal for the United States, and came just one day before Armstrong's 43rd birthday.
Armstrong - the last of the 25 cyclists to race Wednesday morning - was the reigning champion, having won gold medals in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012.
An emotional Armstrong collapsed to the ground after crossing the finish line and learning she had earned another gold medal for her country. The win makes her the first female U.S. athlete to win three gold medals in the same event during the Summer Olympics.
"It's a historical moment in sport for women in the Summer Games, for the U.S.," Armstrong said after her win. "That last 5K I knew it was close, and my coach behind me said 'you better decide what color medal you want today.'"
For Armstrong, that decision was a no-brainer.
"This is a result that I want to end with, and this is a result that any athlete wants to end with: The top step of the podium of the Olympic Games," she said.
The race was so close, even Armstrong did not immediately realize she had come out on top. She described the flood of emotions as the news was confirmed.
"I still have to pinch myself," she said. "There was emotion of exhaustion, there was emotion of 'I cant believe this,' and there was emotion of so much excitement that it happened."
Armstrong's husband Joe Savola, who spoke to KTVB from Rio after her victory, said the win is a product of her never-give-up attitude.
"Everyone is just ecstatic right now," he said. "I would say it's unbelievable but with Kristin, it is believable."
Savola said the first-place ranking was Armstrong's answer to critics and those who said she did not belong on the US team.
"That was part of Kristin's motivation today, is for her to come out and say, 'yeah, I am the oldest. I was the oldest in London, and now I am the the oldest. And I am the best,'" he said.
Armstrong also addressed those who doubted her decision to come out of retirement to compete in Rio.
"People have asked me over and over why am I back, and it's because I can," she said. "I showed it today, and I'm so proud, and I'm so excited that I won my third gold medal."
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter also had words of praise for Boise's Golden Girl.
“What an amazing accomplishment for Kristin," he said in a statement. "I know every Boisean shares my pride that Kristin is one of our own and honored that she provides our city, and especially its children, with such a powerful and positive example of hard work, dedication and community involvement. We can’t wait to welcome her, Joe and Lucas back to Boise and celebrate her triumph.”
The cyclist competed in the Olympic road race event earlier this week, but did not complete the course after falling off pace.
Armstrong and her family say they are looking forward to returning home to Boise on Monday.
Kristin's 43rd birthday is the day after she won her 3rd gold medal.