5 Aug 2012

The greatest day in Britain’s Olympic history?

Jess Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah storm to victory in track and field events while Britain’s rowers and cyclists clinch three more golds.

Jess Ennis (Getty)

It was an historic night for British athletics much to the delight of the home crowd packed into the Olympic stadium.

The gold rush began with Jess Ennis taking a 188-point lead into the 800m – the final heptathlon event. As expected she did more than enough to take gold with 6955 points.

Four years after her Olympic hopes in Beijing were shattered by injury, a crowd of around 80,000 spectators cheered Ennis to victory.

Taking a Union flag from members of Team GB, she led all the heptathletes on a parade lap of the stadium, repeatedly stopping to hold hands with the others and bow to the crowd.

An emotional Ennis told the BBC: “I’m so happy.

“I’m so shocked, I can’t believe it.”

As she struggled to hold back tears, she added: “All the hard work, and the disappointment of Beijing, everyone’s supported me so much.

“I just had to give it everything I’d got. I thought I’ve only got one moment to do this in front of a home crowd like this in London, and I just wanted to make sure I gave them a show.”

In pictures: Seven steps to Olympic gold
Greg Rutherford (Getty)

Greg Rutherford produced one of the biggest jumps of his life to win a long jump gold medal.

Rutherford leaped to 8.31m to claim the win at his home Olympics as fellow Brit Chris Tomlinson finished outside the medals in sixth.

The 25-year-old beamed for the cameras as he held the Union Flag aloft and hugged his trainers in the stand.

Other than Ennis, Rutherford was the only British athlete to lead world rankings in his event this year but had largely slipped under the radar.

The joint UK record holder has had to overcome injury en route to his gold medal win, most recently a hamstring tear during last year’s World Championships qualifying round in Daegu.

At the time he said he had never felt lower as injury halted the best form of his life.

Britain has not won gold in the men’s long jump since Lynn Davies’s win in 1964 and the long jump was regarded as one of the most open events in the track and field programme.

Read more: British women win gold in cycling team pursuit
Mo Farah (Getty)

Farah’s dream comes true

Mo Farah made it a golden hat trick for Britain at the Olympic Stadium.

In a stunning display of tenacity, talent and speed he beat Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopian 5,000m and 10,000m World and Olympic record holder, to win the Olympic 10,000m title.

His wife Tania, who is pregnant with twins, and daughter Rihanna came on to congratulate him on the track. Farah looked stunned but delighted as the crowd roared.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe was with Prime Minister David Cameron in the Olympic Stadium among the packed crowd cheering on the British athletes.

He said Ennis was “absolutely sensational” adding: “Faultless throughout. Jess has nerves of steel and she has delivered a massive British moment which will inspire for generations to come.”

Of Rutherford’s victory, he said: “A wonderful achievement. Greg is always capable on his day of beating the best. I am so delighted he chose London as one of his days.”

Read more: Britain's rowers win two Olympic golds