It’s been a Gold Rush for Team GB on Day 6 of London 2012 with triumphs in the shooting, canoe slalom and cycling – and any doubts that this is going to be an outstanding Games for Great Britain are being swept away by the mounting euphoria that is building every day.
Even the cynical media who all too often prefer to dwell on negative stories about the Games are being blown away by the amazing efforts of Our Greatest Team.
For me this is the awesome outcome Lord Coe and his team were dreaming about when they fought and won the battle to bring The Greatest Show on Earth to our Capital City.
Today has been one of the greatest ever for Team GB in Olympic historty.
SHOOTING: It was gold for world record holder Peter Watson in the Double Trap,
CANOE SLALOM: Not only did Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott win gold, but team-mates David Florence and Richard Hounslow made it a glorious double by taking the silver.
CYCLING: The Men’s Sprint team of Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny and Philip Hinde broke the world record on the way to winning the Olympic title – and that meant a fifth gold medal for Sir Chris, matching the GB record held by Sir Steve Redgrave.
JUDO: Gemma Gibbons became the first Olympic judo medallist for 12 years when she won silver in the 78kg, beaten in the final by American Kayla Harrison in her bid to win Britain’s first ever gold.
ROWING: The day began with silver for Britain’s lightweight men’s four of Rob Williams, Chris Bartley and Chambers brother Richard and Peter. Edged out by a quarter of a second by South Africa in a thrilling final at Eton Dorney, some critics may regard this as a gold lost.
It was not all good news for Britain. Track cyclists Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish were disqualified from the women’s team sprint for an illegal takeover during their semi-final contest with Ukraine.
But the overwhelming, unconditional support from the Great British public has been glorious – and that for me is just as precious as all the medal-winning performances.
How beautiful to see the nation well and truly hooked by the Olympics and the legacy we have all been talking about ever since London won the vote is growing every time we win a medal.
Make no mistake. the more successful the sport the bigger that legacy will be when the Games are over. And six days into London 2012 there are so many winners and remarkable stories it is simply breathtaking.
It is going to be fascinating to see which sport is deemed the most successful for Team GB come the end of London 2012. – and the list of contenders is getting longer every day.
Hopes are high in the boxing where I’m expecting the Brits to win a clutch of medals for both the men and the women. Gymnastic has been a big success, especially for our men. And another impressive team performances so far has come from our women’s footballers.
Natasha Jonas is one of boxing’s Gold medal hopes in the women’s lightweight
