The Kiwis won silver in the women's pursuit cycling final at the Paris Olympics.

Ally Wollaston, Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman and Nicole Shields were beaten by the United States by 0.621 seconds in the 4000m final at the French national velodrome in Versailles on Thursday morning.

It was the first Olympic medal New Zealand won in the discipline and follows the sprint team's silver medal on the opening day of competition at the velodrome.

The pursuit team had gone quickest in qualifying, but with just needing a win in their first round clash with Italy, they recorded a slower time than the Americans did in beating Great Britain.

Woolaston said they had a plan, executed it and left everything out on the track but just got beaten by a better team.

"I think it's a ride we can be really proud of and knowing that we left everything out there is really reassuring."

The squad was young, ambitious and wanted to build on what they had achieved in the last two days.

"The result today is amazing, something we can be really proud of as a young team," Woolaston said.

"It makes me hungry for more - winning the silver medal today."

She was looking forward to racing in the omnium and would be giving her all later in the week.

In the final, the US team took an early lead and never surrendered, even though they lost their structure in the latter stages of the races.

They won in 4min 4.306sec, while the Kiwis finished in 4min 4.927sec, pulling back some time in the last 1000m but unable to get close enough to their rivals.

The Americans led by 0.845sec after 1000m, by 1.306sec after 2000m and by 1.543sec after 3000m.

Wollaston told Sky Sport the team could take pride in their silver medal.

"At the end of the day we always wanted to win but that ride was something we can really be proud of us a team.

"To get to this point with these girls, I am really proud to be a part of this team and I think we should be really happy with that ride."

Wollaston said the team members had all come through adversity in the past year.

Shearman said it was ''super cool" to win silver.

"We have known each other since we were really young. There have been parts when we didn't know whether we could get to these points in our career. It's really exciting and I would not have wanted to be here with anyone else."

Botha said her team-mates inspired her, saying that reserves Sami Donnelly and Michaela Drummond were integral part of the team. "It's such a cool culture we have."

Bryony Botha's sister, Leigh-Ann, told Morning Report she was so proud.

"I think they did a really good job actually… even getting a silver medal, that was huge for them that's the first in history for New Zealand in the women's team pursuit, they've never medalled before.

"I think they were a little bit disappointed about their race."

But she said going into the race her sister had said she couldn't believe she was an Olympic medallist.

Botha was the oldest member of the team, at 26, the rest were a young group, Leigh-Ann said.

They'd all given up so much to work hard and compete, she said.

"Not your usual 20 year olds that perhaps maybe go out and have a lot of fun at parties and whatever, but it paid off, they got silver."

Eddie Dawkins, with his team mates Sam Webster and Ethan Mitchell, won a silver medal in the team sprint in Rio.

He told First Up the silver brought back good and bad memories.

"They'll be going through a bit of a mixed emotion at the moment," he said of the women's team.

"No one every goes there to get second."

Dawkins said looking back to Rio, they probably should have dwelled more on what they did achieve.

"We did achieve something pretty spectacular as a group and we probably didn't spend enough time celebrating that."

And he didn't think this would be the end of the four women.

"I don't see them slowing down any time soon, so I think there'll be faster and faster times in their future."

There is the possibility of more cycling medals on Friday with Ellesse Andrews and Rebecca Petch in the women's keirin and Aaron Gate in the men's omnium.

Read more: Clyde cyclist competes for Olympic medal