Date:20/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/20/stories/2008082053412100.htm

Sport

Hoy clinches historic third gold

BEIJING: Britain confirmed its status as the ruler of the Olympic velodrome on Tuesday, claiming two of the last three track cycling gold medals on offer to finish with seven out of 10. The other gold was won by Argentina in the Madison event.

On a day that Australian blushes were saved in timely fashion by Anna Meares’s sprint silver, giving the team that dominated in Athens just one medal, Britain was celebrating a total of 12 out of 30 medals awarded in Beijing.

It got medals in eight of the 10 events, only failing to claim a medal in the women’s points race and the men’s Madison.

Flying Scotsman Chris Hoy brought the curtain down in dramatic style when he equalled a 100-year-old British Olympic record on his way to winning his third gold medal of the Games in the coveted sprint event, ahead of England’s Jason Kenny. That handed Hoy a first Olympic sprint title, to go with his victories in the team sprint and keirin. “It’s pretty special,” said Hoy, who becomes the first Briton to win three Olympic golds in a single Games since swimmer Henry Cotton in 1908.

“When I think multiple medals I think about (rower) Steve Redgrave and (swimmer) Michael Phelps.

Britain’s record tally of medals was completed by Victoria Pendleton, who maintained her unbeaten momentum throughout the tough three-day sprint tournament to claim her first Olympic crown.

The 32-year-old Hoy, who was born in Edinburgh, now has a total of five Olympic medals, four of them gold.

Kenny, one of the revelations of the track here, gave Hoy a run for his money in the first match before Hoy proved his gold status with a more dominant display in the second. — Agencies