A DAY of blazing saddles brings historic gold medals on horseback and on the cycling track.
Twelve years ago, Nick Skelton watched the Sydney Olympics in a neck brace after breaking his back.
Doctors advised him never to get on a horse again and to quit the sport.
But on Day Ten of the Games the 54-year-old ignored the medics and, using a stepladder to climb on to his horse Big Star, rides into the history books. Nick jumps clear to help Team GB win our first gold medal in showjumping for 60 years.Skelton, along with Scott Brash, Ben Maher and Peter Charles, are level with their Dutch rivals after two days of jumping at Greenwich Park.
Gold and silver will be decided by a jump off over eight jumps 1.6m high – the equivalent of a football penalty shootout.
But this time we don’t miss. In the end it all comes down to Peter Charles, 52, riding Vindicat. He has to go round clear.
The crowd of 23,000 hold their breath as Peter, who hasn’t had a clear round so far, guides his horse around the jumps. As he leaps the last fence, the crowd roars.
In a wonderful moment when the team are standing on the podium, veteran BBC commentator Mike Tucker leaves his mic open and unashamedly sings God Save The Queen as tears roll down his cheeks.
More tears of joy flow in the Velodrome, where Jason Kenny, 24, takes Chris Hoy’s mantle as king of the individual sprint.
The 6,000-strong crowd rock the roof as he becomes the first British athlete to win two golds at London 2012. Selectors chose Kenny to take on six-time French champion Gregory Bauge in order to let Hoy concentrate on the keirin race.
Their gamble pays off as Kenny wins the blistering first best-of-three race of the final, beating the Frenchman by a wheel.
In the second race, with his rival breathing down his neck, Kenny punches the air as he crosses the line just half a front wheel width ahead to take gold.
He says: “It dawned on me that if Chris was in my shoes there’s no way he would lose this one. I’d better not mess this up.”
BRITAIN’S best-ever gymnast, Beth Tweddle, misses out on gold by just one step.
After a superb display on the uneven bars, Beth, 27, misses her step landing and it is enough to relegate her to bronze at the North Greenwich Arena.
After 12 years at the top, our most decorated gymnast is retiring.
Beth, from Cheshire, who underwent knee surgery just three months ago, says: “I finished my career perfectly.”
Our girls’ hockey team reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1996.
Great Britain win their first Olympic basketball match in 64 years, beating China 90-58. Scot Kieron Achara is top scorer with 16 points.
Middleweight boxer Anthony Ogogo is guaranteed at least a bronze after thrashing Germany’s Stefan Hartel, while super-heavyweight Anthony Joshua also guarantees a podium place by beating China’s Zhang Zhilei.
Andrew Osagie qualifies for the semi-finals of the men’s 800m. Just months after beating blood clots on the lung, Lisa Dobriski reaches the 1,500m semi-final.
Former rugby player Laurence Okoye throws the discus 65.28m to reach the final at the Olympic Stadium.
