BENDIGO cyclist Glenn O'Shea this morning won an Olympic silver medal in the team pursuit.

O'Shea and Australian teammates Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn finished second to Great Britain, which won the gold medal in world record time of 3 minutes 51.659 seconds.

Bendigo Cycling Club president Garry Pontelandolfo said O'Shea's silver medal was a long time in the making. 

"He is a family friend and I have followed him since he was in the under 13's in Bendigo," he said.

"To see him win a silver medal is an amazing achievement, Bendigo should be proud.

"To be an Olympian is already something to be proud of and to come home with a medal around your neck is amazing."

The reigning world champion in the omnium, O'Shea will now turn his attention to the six-discipline event, which starts tonight, where he shapes as one of the leading contenders.

"He is a very determined person, I think he can win," Mr Pontelandolfo said.

O'Shea joins swimmer Faith Leech, gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and basketballer Kristi Harrower, silver at Sydney, Athens and Beijing, as the only Bendigo athletes to win an Olympic medal.

O'Shea is a dual winner of the bankmecu-backed Bendigo Advertiser-WIN Television Sports Star of the Year award.