Strictly Come Dancing: Contest is 'a lot less pressure' than the Olympics, says Victoria Pendleton

Olympic champion Victoria Pendleton says she is better at dealing with losing than winning - and reckons there will be no blubbing if she fails to impress Strictly judges.

The gold-medal winning cyclist, who is signed up to compete in this year's contest, has become noted for her occasional teary outbursts.

The track cycling star said: "I think I'm probably a better loser than I am a winner, to be perfectly honest.

"For me getting emotional, it's mainly about the relief at the Olympics. When you work so hard for something that you can't guarantee and it finally comes together, you can't help but get emotional about it, it just means so much."

The 31-year-old sportswoman said she felt a lot less pressure in the BBC1 ballroom dancing contest than competing in the Olympics.

Speaking at the recording of Saturday's launch show, she said: "It's definitely a lot less pressure. There's no expectation here so I think if I last a couple of weeks, I'll be really pleased. I'm going to just enjoy it."

Pendleton is tipping fellow Olympic star Louis Smith to outperform her in the competition.

The 23-year-old silver-medal winning gymnast is already incorporating his acrobatic skills into his dance moves.

Pendleton said: "Louis is going to be a very strong contender in the competition, he's got some serious skills already.

"I think he's going to go very far in the competition - further than me."

Viewers will see the 14 celebrities take to the dancefloor on Saturday at 6.30pm and will learn which professional has been paired with them.