THE GOLDEN GIRLS!
GB cyclists smash world record on way to glory
TEAM GB’s stunning success in Rio continued yesterday.
Mo Farah made history by becoming the first British track and field athlete to win three Olympic gold medals.
He ran a fantastic 10,000 metres which included getting up from a fall to the ground after being tripped.
Mo takes his place among the greatest distance runners of all time, with commentators calling it his greatest ever run.
There was another amazing performance at the velodrome with our cycling team pursuit girls winning gold in a new world record time.
Laura Trott, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell Shand and Milngavie’s Katie Archibald destroyed the American team to retain the title GB won four years ago.
Katie said afterwards: “The girls have done a storming ride. We were convinced it was going to go down to the wire.”
Then Katie added what might just be the quote that sums up Rio 2016 for Britain’s athletes. She said: “We felt like superheroes.”
There was an agonising silver for Becky James in another cycling event, the Keirin, she finished just 0.033 seconds behind the Netherlands’ Elis Lig tree.
Becky, who has struggled with illness and injuries over the past 18 months said: “I was stuck at back and didn’t know when to make my move.
“I left it 50 metres too late for gold but I don’t know where got that speed from.”
Earlier, Britain’s impressive rowers took the men’s eight title, less than an hour after their compatriots claimed silver in the women’s event and keeping the country on track for its most successful away Olympics.
After the race at the Lagoa rowing venue, Team GB cox Phelan Hill said: “These guys were magnificent today. Absolute gladiators.”
Scots Polly Swan, 28, and Karen Bennett, 27, helped the women’s eight to victory in Rio – keeping athletes north of the Border on track for their own record medal haul.
Their success ensured athletes supported by sportscotland have contributed to nine medals so far.
Scots swimmers Stephen Milne, Duncan Scott and Dan Wallace were the first to claim a medal in Rio with silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Their successes were quickly followed by a bronze for Sally Conway in judo.
Canoeist David Florence, rugby players Mark Bennett and Mark Robertson and rower Katherine Grainger – now Britain’s most decorated female Olympian – all took silver.
Young cyclist Callum Skinner helped Team GB to gold in track cycling’s team sprint, while rowers Heather Stanning took gold in the women’s pairs with Helen Glover.
Even more medals could be won by Scottish athletes over the next week, with Andy Murray today aiming to defend his 2012 title after making it to the tennis final by beating Kei Nishikori.
He faces Juan Martin del Potro. The 27-year-old Argentinian is currently world ranked No. 141 but has been as high as No. 4.
Sportscotland performance director Mike Whittingham said: “It’s testament to all the hard work by the athletes, sports, coaches and the collaboration between UK Sport and the sportscotland institute of sport that Scottish athletes are delivering record-breaking performances on the Olympic stage.”