IT’S Ladies Day at the Olympics with all three of our gold medals being won by women who have made sporting history.
Nicola Adams becomes the first female ever to win a boxing gold by battering the world champ, Ren Cancan of China.
Nicola, 29, from Leeds, started boxing when she was 12 and her dad used to play her tapes of Muhammad Ali’s best fights.
After winning gold, she says: “At the end of the fight I did an Ali shuffle – it’s now the Nicki shuffle.” Meanwhile Jade Jones is crowned Olympic taekwando champ in the under-57kg class. She is the winner of Britain’s first gold in this brutal martial art.
Two years ago Jade, from north Wales, was so unknown local businesses raised £1,600 to send her to the Youth Olympics.
Now the 19-year-old repays their faith with gold by beating two-times world champ Hou Yuzhuo of China at London’s ExCel centre. She says: “To be the first Brit to win Olympic gold – it’s just amazing.”
Just 18 months ago Charlotte Dujardin had never competed in a Grand Prix dressage competition. Today the 27-year-old is Olympic champ after scoring a record set of marks for “horse ballet” – individual dressage – in Greenwich Park.
As a medley of stirring British tunes, including Land Of Hope And Glory, blast out from speakers, Charlotte and her gelding Valegro pirouetted and piaffed their way around the arena to perfection. After winning the team gold earlier in the week, this display means Charlotte joins Dame Kelly Holmes, Rebecca Adlington and Laura Trott as the only British women to win two golds at the same Games. She says: “It’s unbelievable.”
Afterwards, Valegro, now worth £6million, goes to the fields for a rest while Charlotte heads out partying to celebrate.
And Charlotte’s team-mate, Laura Bechtolsheimer, 27, is also celebrating after picking up a bronze to go with her team gold.
THE men’s 4 x 400m relay team featuring – Conrad Williams, Jack Green, Nigel Levine and Martyn Rooney – make it to the final in a season’s best time of 3mins 0.38secs.
A mix-up at the feeding station costs Keri-Anne Payne a medal in the 10km open water swim in the Serpentine in Hyde Park.
The 24-year-old world champ is just 0.4 of second outside the bronze time after battling back into contention.
Keri-Anne, from Stockport, Cheshire, says: “It was a pretty violent race right from the start and I got hit in the face a few times.”
Despite making it to the last four without losing a game, Britain’s men’s hockey team crash out 9-2 to Holland at the Riverbank Arena.
A perfect sunny day means there is no wind for sailing at Weymouth and all racing is suspended, postponing Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell’s final in the 470 class.
Brave Martin Stamper, 25, from Liverpool, just misses out on bronze in taekwando’s 68kg category, losing 5-3 to Rohullah Nikpai of Afghanistan.
