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Romero flies the flag for Britain
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This truly was Britain's Golden Weekend, with an incredible haul of eight gold medals.
On Saturday, swimmer Rebecca Adlington smashed the 800m freestyle world record on her way to a second gold medal of the Games, cyclist Bradley Wiggins retained his 4000m pursuit title, Chris Hoy cruised to victory in the keirin cycling and Britain's dominance in men's coxless four continued.
And in addition, Brits claimed a silver in the keirin and four bronze medals in sculling, rowing and cycling.
Sunday was even better. After Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson sailed to success in the Yngling regatta, rowers Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter stormed to a gold medal in the lightweight double sculls.
Jubilation
The jubilation went on as sailing great Ben Ainslie clinched a gold medal for the third consecutive Games, before Rebecca Romero won an all-British pursuit final.
There was also a silver for the men's rowing eight, silver for the women's quad and silver for Wendy Houvenaghel, runner-up to Romero.
We even hit metal in gymnastics, Louis Smith winning a bronze medal in the pommel horse. That is Britain's first ever Olympic medal in gymnastics.
And just as a pleasing afterthought, the men's cycling pursuit team set a new world record in their semi-final!
This was the weekend when Britain shook up the sporting world. Share your thoughts on our Olympic heroes...
Comments
Maria W says...
WOW! So pleased for the GB team and the nation, sheer inspiration. Wouldn't it be something if this was the start of a shift to a nation that sees itself as sporty, outdoors and active...............what a difference that would make. Lets get moving!
Posted 09:06 20th August 2008
Steve Cooper says...
CONGRATULATION TO ALL TEAM UK, What a fantastic display by all our british competitors, they have done us proud! The cycling haul of medals has been astounding and shows what can be achieved when our sports men & women have first rate facilities. We should campaign to have a national drive to improve facilities across all sports, encourage more people to participate. maybe we can repeat or better this amazing achievement in 2012.
Posted 07:16 20th August 2008
Samuel Rushworth says...
I agree that Australia is doing amazingly well given their small population- they are a great sporting nation. But to suggest we compete as England, Scotland, Wales etc is like me telling them to enter as separate provinces. We are ONE nation.
Posted 06:10 20th August 2008
Andrew Hague says...
Aussies are always bad losers ! I don't think the medal table is so important - it's just great to see so many Britons doing great.
Posted 03:20 20th August 2008
Neale Vaughan says...
Excuse me while I pick myself up from laughing Team GB You need 4 countries to combine as one to be any good. Why not get serious in London 2012 and compete as England,Wales ,Ireland and Scotland and then we will see just how good you think you are. Australia has 21 million people and we have been running rings around you lot for decades. Get serious and compete as the separate nations you are like everyone else.
Posted 02:09 20th August 2008
John Blades says...
Well Well, I am a scot living in brisbane for the last 15yrs I cant tell you how proud I am of the British Team and there great efforts, it reminds of the Golden Era of Thompson, Ovett, Cram and Coe. Now we have added on with great efforts across the board in all sports especially boxing and cycling. The Jafa's over here ( just another ** australian) are whinging like the preverbial poms. And so they should with there dedicated AIS (Australian Institute of sport) that moley coddles every up coming athlete must be having a hard look at themselves. I will say when government realises the lift it gives a nation you wonder what happenned in the 90's to our great sporting nation. Now sort out the tennis, cricket (which i dislike immensley), football. And make sure we do just as well in the Winter Olympics. Rule Brittania............
Posted 22:25 19th August 2008
John Armstrong says...
"Trevor Ferdy says... Since when did we call ourselves "Team GB"? Do we really need to sound so dumbed-down?" only one dumb thing about that name and thats the people who criticise it. Personally I think they should now change it to The Incredibles. " Caveney says... Its all well and good us winning medals, but don't you find it annoying come the medal ceremony, the brits that are there in Bejing are incapable of keeping in time with our national anthem" its to do with the laws of physics, when you start school you will learn that sound and vision travel at different speeds and also the placement of mics in the stadium and the location of cameras also effect the sync of sound and vision. I am looking forward to the Pedantic Olympics I am sure you both will do very well. Well done Team GB for sporting performances and great lip sync.
Posted 21:06 19th August 2008
Tony Bowling says...
Here in the USA the medal table is based on the total number of medals which of course puts the USA and in number one position. That system does not make sense because it means a bronze has the same value as a gold. However just going by gold, as in the UK system, ignores the fact that many silver and bronze have been earned. I guess the only true way would be to have a points system - something like 4 points for gold, 2 for silver and one for bronze. And then see where we all end up position wise.
Posted 18:34 19th August 2008
Del Boy says...
please let the athletes get the welcome they deserve on there return, but please remember that this is their chosen proffession. understandbly with a government system that does not do enough to promote sport to what it was like years ago, remember we as a norm are as fast to knock them back down as welll as big them up look at football for instance. but well done to all winners and that dont do as well...
Posted 16:51 19th August 2008
Deborah Scott says...
Just been reading some of the comments posted - and some people never fail. Its bad enough that the government didn't sponsor sports for so long and the press have such a good time pulling people down after they have put them on a pedestal, but for some people to put comments like "since when are we Team GB sound dumb etc". I despair some times, we want success, we get success and there are still negative comments. For god sake be proud and start putting the GREAT back into GREAT BRITAIN. Wake up people.
Posted 16:40 19th August 2008
Irish Man says...
Britain are anly good at sports that dont matter. Ye are rubbish at the important ones like Hurling and GAA. They should have hurling in the olympics.
Posted 16:32 19th August 2008
Deborah Scott says...
Well done to ALL in the GB team. Even the ones that didn't get any medals. You have inspired so many I have no doubt. My ten year old even put the Olympics Breakfast on before the childrens TV at the moment. The amount of times I have cried because of the ceremonies of the medals and the playing of the national anthem has been great - its been a pleasure to cry!! Proud to be British (I'm filling up now!!). Keep all the sponsorships etc up and London 2012 should be even better. Don't let the sports people of this country down again, keep this high for as long as possible. Well done again to every single one of them medal winners/non medal winners you deserve every bit of praise you get.
Posted 16:31 19th August 2008
Lynda White says...
Great performances!! Worth waiting 4 years for!!
Posted 16:26 19th August 2008
Phil Brown says...
Well done team GB, the notion of London 2012 has really inspired the athletes to a good haul. But, I think there must be support for all the other sport events come 2012 since most of the medals came from cycling and rowing/sailing events. The lottery money has been most effective in these events, especially the equipments used for training. More support for swimming, gymnastics, track and field, diving, etc.... a well rounded team for 2012 please! 14 Gold, surely, that will be beaten quite easily. Well done!!!
Posted 09:19 19th August 2008
Nick Macfarlaine says...
For too long we as a nation with successive goverments have had an amaturish approach to sport, we had until recently only focused on the mainstream 3 and give little support of any kind outside those. For me it has been captivating to firstly recognise the other major sporting nations spread their investment wisely across the widest range of sports. Secondly we have the chance to do even better in 4 years time as our major successes have come from only from expanding our interest to cycling, rowing and sailing. I just hope we have recognised the noticable trend for success is real focus, real investement, coaching and support of the athelete all the way down to grass roots. I am ashamed that locally former commenwealth and Olympic medalists train on grass tracks with no changing facilities, foreign friends who see this are shocked to see how poorly we support sport in general and I have to say I am ashamed of our nation in this respect. I just hope we take the opportunity to build rather than go back to type and try and reinvent the wheel while the world runs literally out of sight.
Posted 01:15 19th August 2008
David Regan says...
A hearty well done to Team GB for their wonderful improvement in these olympics. Australia saw a great resurgence in the lead up to Sydney2000 and we are still reaping the benefits. (Although we are now seeing the results of decreased funding since Sydney) GB's improvement in the cycling disciplines have come at Australia's cost. It will be up to the British public to keep pressure on your politicians to ensure funding is maintained beyond London2012. Once again, very well done, keep improving so that the US and China dont have it all their own way in 2012.
Posted 00:28 19th August 2008
Tracey Burton says...
British!!!!!!! Simply the best great work and well done!!!!!!!!! We are so proud to be GB. Roll on 2012
Posted 23:24 18th August 2008
Anton Sevasta says...
being maltese and a follower of british sports i think all british people should be SOOOO PROUD of their athletes. although more medals are expected i think Team GB deserve a BIG welcome back in the uk. Well Done.
Posted 19:00 18th August 2008
George Welch says...
well done team GB.you make us proud to be british. Roll on 2012
Posted 18:53 18th August 2008
Carl Plane says...
Team GB has done excellently and Rebecca Adlington is what Kelly Holmes was 4 years ago. She is a great swimmer who showed her determination in the 400m. Well done to all our athletes
Posted 18:12 18th August 2008
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