Cycling’s golden couple Jason Kenny and Laura Trott seal their places in Olympic history on a glory-filled day for Great Britain in Rio
Cycling's golden couple Jason Kenny and Laura Trott both secured their place in history last night after hitting the top of the podium following another medal-strewn day for Great Britain at the Olympic Games in Rio.
Trott became the first British woman to win four Olympic gold medals with victory in the omnium, while her fiance Kenny followed that with a stunning success in the keirin with a perfectly-timed finish.
A hat-trick of Rio golds saw Bolton rider Kenny, who also won the team and individual sprints, draw level with Sir Chris Hoy as a six-time Olympic champion, equalling a British record.
“It is pretty mental [matching Hoy],” said Kenny, who survived a possible disqualification as his final was re-started twice due to infringements. “As the years have gone by I appreciated how amazing he was then and to do the same is amazing.”
Trott added: “The thought of doing it again freaks me out a bit but the idea of winning six gold medals is something that I would like to take on. For now, I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”
It proved a glory-filled few hours for Team GB as sailor Giles Scott secured Finn class gold, Becky James and Katy Marchant claimed silver and bronze respectively in the women’s track cycling sprint and Jack Laugher won diving silver. Gymnasts Amy Tinkler and Nile Wilson both snared bronze, as did boxer Joshua Buatsi. Yesterday’s haul saw Great Britain surpass their 48-medal target for these Games.
Scott was officially crowned an Olympic champion after completing his final event and sealed Team GB’s fifth successive gold in the Finn class. Scott succeeds Sir Ben Ainslie, who claimed the previous three titles.
“Towards the latter stages of that final race I found myself welling up,” said Scott. “I would not put myself down as the emotional sort but I had a little cry.”
James won her second silver of the Games, having finished in second place in the keirin on Sunday, after losing the first two races in a best-of-three final against Germany’s Kristina Vogel. Marchant beat Elis Ligtlee of Holland to take bronze. Laugher, meanwhile, took second place in the men’s individual 3m springboard final, five days after winning synchronised gold.
Teenager Amy Tinkler claimed bronze in the floor exercise, while Leeds-born Nile Wilson assumed the status of the first Briton to win an Olympic medal in the horizontal bar. Buatsi collected Britain’s first boxing medal in Rio with bronze at light-heavyweight.