Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton swaps laps for lances as she tries jousting at Kenilworth Castle
Team GB gold medal-winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton has swapped her bicycle for a horse as English Heritage campaign for jousting to be recognised as an Olympic sport
Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton is joust the job in a suit of armour.
Following in the footsteps of medieval knights, she donned armour weighing 45kg (99lb) and galloped towards her opponent at 30moph with a 12ft lance in hand.
The gold medal star was put through her paces by English Heritage's expert jousters at a training session at Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, to try "England's first national sport".
After launching English Heritage's "Medieval Knights Season" by becoming the charity's latest jouster, Victoria Pendleton fully endorsed English Heritage's campaign for jousting to be included in the Olympics.
Victoria, 36, said: “It’s just as physically exerting as competitive cycling and jousting definitely deserves its place at the Olympic table.”
Dominic Sewell, English Heritage's expert jouster, said: "Jousting isn't easy. Riding horses is hard, wearing armour is hard, carrying a lance is hard.
"Doing all these things at once while trying to strike your opponent is even more difficult.
"But Victoria exceeded our expectations, she was absolutely brilliant and we are delighted she's on the English Heritage team."
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