Triathlon - News, Athletes, Olympic Medal Record Find a Triathlon club About Triathlon Triathlon pushes competitors to the limits in three different sports: swimming, cycling & running. The Olympic distance triathlon consists of a 1500m swimming, 40km cycling and 10km running; all completed consecutively. In 1994, during an IOC session in Paris, it was announced that the sport had formally become part of the Olympic Programme. The triathlon made its debut at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney where 500,000 spectators watched the event for two days. Team GB won their first triathlon medals in style at London 2012 with the Brownlee brothers Alistair and Jonny winning gold and bronze in front of the home crowd.

London 2012: Brownlee Brothers Win Means Yorkshire Would Be Tenth In Medals Table (PICTURES) | The Huffington Post London 2012: Brownlee Brothers Win Means Yorkshire Would Be Tenth In Medals Table (PICTURES) 07/08/2012 15:32 | Updated 08 August 2012 220 Jessica Elgot Jessica Elgot is Assistant News Editor at The Huffington Post UK Could the Olympics see the start of a call for a Yorkshire republic as the county decides, justifiably, that the rest of the UK is holding it back? The county, known as "God's own country", would be tenth in the medals table - above the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia - if it were an independent nation. Athletes from Yorkshire have now bagged five golds, two silvers and three bronze medals, and the county has produced some of the biggest stars of the Games so far. Yorkshire's Alistair Brownlee reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the men's triathlon The latest medallists under the "Team Yorkshire" banner are the Brownlee brothers from Leeds.

Hundreds in Leeds' Millennium Square watched Alistair Brownlee take gold in the triathlon on Tuesday, and his brother Jonny win bronze after a 15 second penalty. Members of the Leeds Metropolitan University triathlon team, where the brothers train, were among those cheering the pair to glory. Fans watch Jessica Ennis win the 800 metres in the Heptathlon confirming a gold in the event, on the big screen at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield Robert Bridges, a triathlete with the team, described the brothers as "sound". He said: "This was exceptional for Alistair and getting the bronze is a fantastic achievement for Jonny." Sheffield-born gold medal heptathlete Jessica Ennis still lives and trains in the city. The Sheffield Star reported plans to give her the Freedom of the City. Sheffield Council leader Coun Julie Dore said: “A homegrown gold medal winner being born and bred in the city, Jessica is truly ‘Made in Sheffield’ and we are bursting with joy to take her see Olympic gold.” Cyclist Ed Clancy from Huddersfield, won gold in the men's team pursuit and bronze in the omnium.

Jessica Ennis is one of the many athletes in 'Team Yorkshire' Hebden Bridge's Andrew Triggs-Hodge was in Team GB's gold-winning men's coxless four and Katherine Copeland who won the women's lightweight double sculls is from Stokesley, both in North Yorkshire. Team GB's first medallist Lizzie Armitstead is from Otley - taking silver in the women's road race. Northallerton's Nicola Wilson won silver in the team eventing. And boxer Luke Campbell, from Hull, is also guaranteed at least a bronze medal after reaching the Bantamweight semi-finals. Former cricket umpire Dickie Bird, from Barnsley, said: "The Yorkshire competitors have done absolutely brilliant." And, should the longed-for republic ever come into existence, the people of Yorkshire should have no problem finding someone to lead their Olympic bid to host the Games at the Don Valley Stadium. Lord Coe might be tempted to head the bid - having been brought up in Sheffield. Suggestions for events, under the Twitter hashtag #yorkshireolympics, have included terrier-throwing, the tripe-athalon, whippet dressage and grim-nastics. What Would A Yorkshire Olympics Look Like?

What Would A Yorkshire Olympics Look Like? 1 Olympics: Chris Hoy Helps GB To Medal Record Weather Olympics: Chris Hoy Helps GB To Medal Record Sir Chris Hoy's record-breaking sixth gold helps power Team GB to its biggest medal haul in the modern Olympic era. 16:51, UK, Tuesday 07 August 2012 Mail Sir Chris Hoy's historic sixth gold medal has helped Britain to its best Olympic performance for more than a century. His victory brought Team GB's tally to 48 medals - 22 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze - making it Britain's most successful Games in over a century and overtaking the medal haul in Beijing. But there was disappointment this morning for Tim Brabants in the men's canoe sprint. Brabants, who won gold in China, finished eighth in the 1,000m K1 at Eton Dorney. Brabants, who is not back to full fitness after a serious tendon injury, struggled throughout the race, which was won by Norway's Eirik Veras Larsen. Sir Chris Hoy's 's latest triumph in the cycling took him to six gold medals - one more than rower Sir Steve Redgrave.

Image Caption: Sir Chris has won seven Olympic medals His victory in the Keirin earned him his second gold of London 2012 after winning the team sprint. "I am in shock. This is just surreal," he said. The 36-year-old Scot has seven Olympic medals in total, with one silver to accompany his golds. Video: Hoy and Trott On Olympic Wins He first became Olympic champion in Athens in 2004, with victory in the 1km time trial, before claiming a hat-trick of victories in Beijing and the team sprint title on Thursday. "This has really turned into a golden summer for Team GB and for the whole of the UK," Prime Minister David Cameron said. "Our athletes, both individually and as a team, can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. "The whole country can be very proud of putting on such an incredible set of Games and such a great show for the whole world." Britain's best-ever Olympics were the London Games of 1908 when it claimed an unsurpassable 146 medals - 56 golds, 51 silvers and 39 bronze.

Video: Brownlees On Yorkshire Success Sir Chris's gold was the second of the day for the British cycling team after Laura Trott, 20, lifted her second gold medal of the Games by winning the women's omnium just an hour earlier. Trott finished just one point ahead of American Sarah Hammer, with Australian Annette Edmondson taking the bronze. It was the sixth gold medal in eight events for Britain in the London Velodrome. Trott said: "I can't believe this is happening to me, I really can't. I am so happy." The outgoing face of British cycling Victoria Pendleton, 31, could only manage a silver in her sprint showdown with Australian arch-rival Anna Meares. Earlier, the Team GB gold rush continued as the dressage team trotted to a historic victory over Germany. Team dressage has been dominated by Germany in every Games since 1984 - but the magic of London 2012 meant that this was yet another bastion to fall to an apparently unstoppable Team GB. The team of Carl Hester, Laura Bechtolsheimer and Charlotte Dujardin put in an exquisite performance in this most rarefied of equine sports.

The gold is a career-crowning moment for veteran rider Hester, 45, who has now contested four Olympics. He said: "We've done what we've wanted to do, it's been a very stressful time for me through this whole thing." Earlier, Team GB equalled its gold medal haul from Beijing when the Brownlee brothers both claimed medals in the triathlon . Video: What Will Post-Games Legacy Be? His younger brother Jonny's won bronze in the same race. Britain had never won a triathlon medal before but Alistair Brownlee was favourite, having dominated triathlon over the last four years. There was further success for Team GB in Weymouth as Nick Dempsey took silver in the men's windsurfing and Robbie Grabarz claimed bronze - shared with two other athletes - in the high jump. Related story Olympic Triathlon Glory For Brownlee Brothers Weather Olympic Triathlon Glory For Brownlee Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee win gold and bronze for Team GB in the triathlon and there are several other medal hopes today.

04:42, UK, Tuesday 07 August 2012 Image Caption: Alistair Brownlee (left) and his brother Jonny with their medals Mail Team GB claimed its 19th gold medal of the London Olympics when Alistair Brownlee won the men's triathlon and his brother Jonny picked up a bronze. The older Brownlee, who is world number one, grabbed a Union flag from the crowd, slowed to a jog and then walked across the finish line in Hyde Park to win the swimming, cycling and running event. The 24-year-old athlete waited to embrace his brother, 22, who had to fight incredibly hard to overcome a 15-second penalty given for mounting his bike too quickly after swimming the Serpentine. Alistair Brownlee pulled away from eventual silver medallist Javier Gomez of Spain halfway through the 10km run to finish in 1 hour, 46 minutes, 25 seconds. It was Britain's first Olympic medal in triathlon and Brownlee adds the Games title to his world and European triumphs.

He was among the leaders after the 1,500m swim and 43km bike ride through Hyde Park, but broke away from Gomez in the run. Image Caption: Alistair Brownlee won Team GB's 19th gold medal at the London Games And there was further success for Team GB in Weymouth as Nick Dempsey took silver in the men's windsurfing. Meanwhile, Phillips Idowu, the so-called "invisible man" of British athletics, has failed to make it into the final of the men's triple jump. Video: Olympics Day 10 Roundup The silver medallist in Beijing four years ago could only manage a best jump of 16.53 metres this time as he failed to finish in the top 12 in the qualifying stage. He produced a first-round leap of 16.47m and, after a no jump in the second, went further with his third, but it was not far enough. The East Londoner pulled off his headband in disgust as he walked away from the pit. He ended up in 14th place, nine centimetres off 12th.

Idowu, who is suffering from a trapped nerve and has been in dispute with British athletics bosses, only arrived at the athletes' village on Sunday. The 33-year-old's fitness and whereabouts have been the focus of so much frenzied speculation in the build-up to the 2012 Games. Team GB's gold medal winners at London 2012 Olympics - Telegraph Team GB's gold medal winners at London 2012 Olympics A salute to Team GB's gold medallists at the London 2012 Olympics.

Image 1 of 6 Number one: Sir Chris Hoy struggles to maintain his composure after becoming the most successful British Olympian of all time Photo: GETTY IMAGES Image 1 of 6 Streaking away: Mo Farah on his way to winnig the 5,000m - his second gold medal of the Games Photo: GETTY IMAGES Image 1 of 6 Katherine Grainger (left) celebrates getting her hands on an Olympic gold alongside Anna Watkins Photo: GETTY IMAGES Image 1 of 6 Proud: Ben Ainslie became the most successful sailor in Olympic history and was then chosen to be Great Britain's flag bearer at the closing ceremony Photo: GETTY IMAGES Image 1 of 6 Through the pain barrier: Alistair Brownlee crosses the line to win the triathlon in Hyde Park Photo: GETTY IMAGES Image 1 of 6 Tearful triumph: An emotional Luke Campbell celebrates winning bantamweight boxing gold after defeating Ireland's John Joe Nevin Photo: GETTY IMAGES Rowing, women’s pair Glover, who will have a homecoming parade in Penzance next week, was in a state of disbelief after winning Britain’s first gold of the Games with Stanning.

The former PE teacher even slept with her medal by her pillow. “I think I only had an hour’s sleep the first night,” she said. “I haven’t had a drink for the past four years, so I imagine I will be quite a liability when I do.” The triumph marked the culmination of an extraordinary journey for Glover, who had never stepped foot in a rowing boat until 2008, when she was identified by UK Sport’s Sporting Giants programme. Related Articles Silver and bronze heroes 16 Aug 2012 The 26 year-old recalled: “I remember sitting in a room in Bisham Abbey and someone saying, 'A gold medallist in 2012 could be sitting in this room.’ It was quite surreal.” For Stanning, a captain in the Royal Artillery who may soon be on duty in Afghanistan, the sensation was similarly other-worldly. Her school friends at Gordonstoun voted her the girl most likely to be an Olympic champion. “I was into all sports – a jack of all trades but master of none.

But maybe somebody saw something in me.” Anthony Joshua Boxing, super-heavyweight Joshua’s first priority after winning his gold medal on the last weekend of the Games was to return to Golders Green, to find his cousin, amateur boxer Benga Ilyemi, who had encouraged him to take up the sport four years ago. Ilyemi had given 'Big Josh’ a start by handing him a pair of borrowed shorts and lending him £25 to buy boots. “My cousin convinced me to box, that’s how I got started,” Joshua said this week. “He is the novice amateur 91kg champion of England. He is not as big as me, he’s a shorter, more powerful guy, like Mike Tyson was. “I’m hoping to persuade him to be competing with me in the heavyweight division for GB in Rio in four years. It would be great to go there together in the team.” As he reflects on his dramatic victory in London’s Excel Centre, Joshua will doubtless take in another viewing of the film, 300, which tells the story of the Spartan king Leonidas and a his tiny force taking on the Persians at Thermopylae in 480BC.

Joshua said that watching the film again and again inspired him to remain defiant in the Olympic final. Andrew Triggs Hodge, Tom James, Peter Reed and Alex Gregory Rowing men's four For Britain’s victorious men’s quartet, the giddy days since they won their gold medal at Eton Dorney have brought an overdue reacquaintance with loved ones. “I neglected my responsibilities as a husband,” Triggs Hodge said of his quest for Olympic glory, and in the seconds after victory he pointedly kissed his wedding ring. Reed completed a momentous Olympics by proposing to his fiancée, Frauke Oltmanns, at the closing ceremony, with his team-mates watching. “While everyone was having a big party, I managed to find my way into the crowd and did it all properly. I knew where she was sitting. It was wonderful and we are both thrilled.” James has been busy too, returning to his alma mater of King’s College, Chester, to display his gold medal. Looking back at the four’s dramatic win, which was secured only after a compelling duel with the Australians, he said: “Words can’t describe the atmosphere.

It was epic.” Gregory, winning his first Olympic gold, admitted: “There is just this sense of massive relief.” Sir Chris Hoy Keirin and team sprint It was, perhaps, the defining image of the London Games: Hoy, Edinburgh’s man of granite, blubbing like a baby on top of the velodrome podium after winning his sixth Olympic gold medal. The emotion was shared by those squeezed inside the stifling velodrome – fans and riders – and millions of TV viewers who understood the enormity of Hoy’s achievement in surpassing Sir Steve Redgrave’s record medal haul. Hoy, typically, insisted that Redgrave, with gold medals at five consecutive Games, was the ultimate Olympian. His memories of the keirin are mainly concerned with dragging back a win from the jaws of defeat around the final bend. “I put everything I possibly could into it, the race drained me hugely. It’s almost a desire to do yourself and your coaches and everyone that’s helped you justice. “You reflect just before your race on what you’ve gone through to get here. You’re not willing to let it disappear.

I just thought, 'I am not going to shift’.” Silver medallist Max Levy perhaps put it best when he said of Hoy: “No man is harder to beat. He is never beaten – he is a champion.” Bradley Wiggins Cycling, individual time trial For Wiggins, victory at a sun-drenched Hampton Court was a fitting climax to a spectacular sporting summer. Not only did he storm to victory in the Tour de France, the first Briton to win the most prestigious cycling race of all, but this victory meant he had won more medals than any athlete in British Olympic history. “It was amazing and still hasn’t sunk in properly,” he said. “We came straight back from the Tour, stayed low profile in our hotel and then we had the experience of all those incredible crowds cheering us in the road race. They were there again all along the TT course. I never thought I would experience that in my own country. “The Olympics have been a huge part of my life, it’s why I took up cycling and I have been proud to represent Great Britain in four Games.” Wiggins’s win was capped by one of the most touching celebrations, as he was enveloped in a bear-hug by his wife, Cath, and children.

“As a wife where’s the sacrifice in helping your other half fulfil their dreams?” Cath said. “And it’s not forever. It’s not like we are a services family who are apart year after year.” Mo Farah Athletics, 10,000m and 5,000m He began the Games as a bit of a hero; he ended it as an icon, with even Usain Bolt an admiring courtier, paying tribute by imitating Farah’s 'Mobot’ celebration after winning the sprint relay. The little fella still cannot quite believe how Mo-mania swept the nation and as he protested, “I’m still the same old Mo”, you had to hope he was right. Like Ennis, Hoy and Wiggins, he offered the reassurance that nice guys can be pure gold as athletes. With Farah, following his amazing double triumph, there was the added sensation that he was perhaps a trailblazer as well as a champion. Asked about being a symbol of the uplifting multiculturalism of the home team effort, he said he was happy to play that role. “As a kid growing up in London coming from Somalia was a big thing for me,” he said.

“It just shows you no matter what or where you come from, if you work hard at something you can achieve.” Farah, for instance, marvelled at the labours that went into the gymnastic ability of Beth Tweddle. “I thought: 'Wow, how on earth can she do that?’” while the rest of the world was asking the same about him. “An achievement of extraordinary magnitude,” was how Lord Coe described Farah’s double. To the nation, it was the best of the best of British. Nicola Adams Adams, who became the first woman ever to win an Olympic boxing gold medal, is now a genuine sporting superstar, according to her team-mate and fellow London 2012 gold medallist Anthony Joshua. It is hard to disagree with the super-heavyweight champion’s verdict. In the aftermath of her win, Adams said she wanted to go to Nando’s, and then she was whisked off in a Rolls-Royce to The Savoy for tea. She has met Russell Brand, Dizzee Rascal and Lennox Lewis, and she has been presented with a watch worth several thousand pounds by Omega.

There have been appearances on The One Show on BBC 1 alongside Mo Farah and Boris Johnson, and a civic reception in Leeds, her home town. Yet this proud Yorkshirewoman – who made a reunion with her beloved pet Doberman puppy Dexter, who stayed in kennels during her Olympic adventure, her top priority – is unlikely to lose the grounded attitude that made her such a hit. “I like being the normal Nikki Adams, walking the dog, doing day-to-day things,” she said. And a few drinks? “Why not?” Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking Rowing, lightweight double sculls Her face a picture of wide-eyed wonderment, Copeland said that all she could think about after winning this improbable gold was being honoured by the Royal Mail. “The first thing I said to Sophie on crossing the line was, 'We’ve just won – we’re going to be on a stamp’.” For crewmate Hosking, the win has given her a satisfying piece of one-upmanship on father Peter, a world champion in 1980. “My dad used to coach me in the double when we were younger, and I remember him saying I had what it took to be a champion.

I am not sure I believed him, but it is an incredible moment to share this with him now. “Dad was always winding me up, saying that I had never won the worlds, but now I can tell him, 'You haven’t won the Olympics’.” The pair joined forces just six months before the Games, and had a solitary World Cup silver to their name, but they won their gold with a superb demonstration of sculling. Copeland, pictured above with the Duchess of Cambridge, said: “Two months ago I never would have dreamed of this. I tried to convince myself that it was just another regatta.” Jason Kenny Cycling, individual sprint and team sprint Kenny won his toughest race before the Olympics had even started, coming out on top after a three-year battle to earn selection over Sir Chris Hoy, who won the title so memorably in Beijing. The selection dilemma arose when cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, decided that there should be only one rider per country in individual events.

Kenny said: “I hadn’t thought about it until that last ride in the final against Grégory Baugé and then it dawned on me, the battle I had to get here with Chris, knowing that you’ve got someone that definitely would not give that second sprint away. I was thinking, 'I had better not mess this one up’.” Baugé, the defeated world champion, hijacked Kenny’s post-race press conference, with dark mutterings over Britain’s knack of peaking for major championships. But Kenny was unflustered and was photographed later kissing fellow track star Laura Trott. Hoy was hugely complimentary about Kenny’s achievement. “Jason can overtake me,” he said. “I am sure he will go on to become one of the greatest sprinters of all time.” Jessica Ennis Athletics, heptathlon The woman who achieved the most difficult trick of all; to be the one who burst out of the poster and brought the Olympics to vibrant life. Sheffield’s steeliest handled the pressure as the home hero like Michael Johnson did at Atlanta 1996 and Cathy Freeman at Sydney 2000 and admitted with relief afterwards that it had not been easy.

There were times in the endless build-up, admitted Ennis, when her fiancé Andy Hill had to take the brunt of her anxiety as she fretted about the prospect of failure. Ultimately, however, like the rest of the nation, Andy watched his girl win the final heptathlon event, the 800 metres, to prove herself the greatest all-round athlete in the world and laughed: “Isn’t she wonderful? I’ve done well for myself, haven’t I?” Sheffield embraced her with a warm homecoming celebration and, typically, the selfless Ennis thought only of how her victory might rub off on the next generation of budding athletes in her beloved home city. “It is so important we create great role models and we’ve done that with these Games,” Ennis said. She was, of course, too modest to reflect that she has established herself as the most striking role model of them all. Laura Trott, Dani King and Joanna Rowsell Cycling team pursuit Going into the Olympics this was Great Britain’s banker. It was impossible to see this World Championship-winning and world record-breaking trio being beaten and so it proved as they smashed their own world record in all three rides en route to the gold medal.

So complete was their dominance, they came close to lapping the United States squad in the final. “We have all grown so close in the last couple of years, training and racing and spending so much time together, we are like sisters really,” said King. “I suppose we were the form team but there is still a lot pressure, you have still got to go out there and perform, it was such a relief when we pulled it off.” King, like Trott, started life with the British academy as a sprinter but failed to make the grade. She persuaded the British coaches to give her a chance on the endurance programme and immediately found her niche. For Rowsell it was a doubly poignant win, coming as it did on International Alopecia Day. The Surrey-born rider now proudly champions all youngsters who, like her, have suffered traumatic hair loss early in life. Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie Canoe slalom, C2 Life has been a blur for Stott and Baillie since becoming two of Team GB’s unlikely heroes with gold in the C2 canoe slalom.

Stott, who only moved into the Olympic Village the day after winning gold, has been bewildered by being recognised on the street for the first time , while the mayor of his hometown of Bedford has suggested renaming a bridge in his honour. Baillie’s new-found fame, meanwhile, has brought an appearance on the National Lottery show. Thoughts are now turning to the future and whether Rio 2016 is a realistic target. Stott has committed to paddling for another year and will review the situation on an annual basis, but another Olympics, and a further four-year training cycle, is unlikely. The same applies to Baillie, 33, who will now take a break and talk to his coaches before assessing the future, which in 2015 includes the World Championships at Lee Valley. First though he has promised to buy himself a mountain bike as reward for his gold. Andy Murray Tennis, singles Murray is unique within the sweep of Team GB’s 29 gold medallists because his sport chugs on without any sense of let-up now that the Games are over. Indeed, he will be contesting a Grand Slam title in New York as soon as Monday week.

The immediate legacy of his victory over Roger Federer on the middle Sunday of the Olympics was a sense of exhaustion, manifested in his withdrawal after one round of the Toronto Masters citing a sore knee. But Murray is playing again in Cincinnati this week and should go into the US Open with his self-belief – and prospects – at an all-time high. To win the Olympic tennis event, he beat the two highest-ranked players in the world in successive matches. And do not underestimate how seriously the world’s elite players take this tournament: Novak Djokovic came off court almost speechless with despair, and promptly admitted that his sense of disappointment was greater than it had been after losing to Federer in the semi-final of Wimbledon proper. “That was No 1 for me, the biggest win of my life,” Murray said. “I had watched athletics the night before and it gave me such a boost. The momentum the team had was amazing.” Jade Jones Taekwondo, under-57kg By winning Britain’s first-ever gold medal in taekwondo, 19-year-old Jones instantly became Flint’s biggest sporting star since Ian Rush.

Yet Jones, who avenged last year’s World Championship final defeat by China’s Hou Yuzhuo to win the -57kg category, does not intend to let her newly-found fame prove a distraction. On her Twitter account, which now has over 30,000 followers, she has tweeted pictures of the golden postbox in Flint, a chocolate bar named after her and revealed she has had any number of marriage requests since becoming Olympic champion. After a well-earned break, Jones already seems to have set her sights on defending her title in Rio. “I’m going to have some time out and get mentally hungry again,” she said. “Then I’ve got the World Championships next May, so I’ll see where that takes me. “I don’t want to be one of those one-hit wonders, I want to be performing at that level all the time and I know how hard it is in my category. My coach says the amazing thing about me is I’m doing so well but I’ve still got so far to go. I still make loads of mistakes and I’m only 19.

I can get so much stronger as well, my muscles aren’t fully developed yet.” Ed McKeever Canoe sprint, K1 200m The first thing on McKeever’s mind now the Olympics are over is his wedding, which is due to take place next month. His wife-to-be, Anya Kuczha, is keen to avoid a kayaking theme and McKeever has promised not to take his gold medal to the ceremony for fear of taking attention away from the bride. McKeever promised to have a holiday by the seaside to celebrate his win but was unsure of his long-term future in the immediate aftermath of his gold medal last Saturday. “I haven’t made any long-term plans. I’m 28, so it could go either way. I’m just so happy I could contribute to the medal table,” he said. His coaches were telling a different story. Brendan Purcell, the national sprint coach, believes he can go on until Rio and build an Olympic legacy of his own. “Physically and mentally he can go on for as long as he wants and he has that drive. That’s the kind of guy he is,” said Purcell.

McKeever is a hard-working and dedicated athlete peaking in his career. He has accountancy exams in December and is keen to keep up his studies because canoeing does not offer long-term financial stability. Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer Great Britain enjoyed some golden moments in the spectacular setting of Greenwich Park, including this triumph – their first in an Olympic dressage event. But there are now doubts over whether the nature of the legacy the sport will enjoy. Valegro, Uthopia and Alf – the horses that delivered gold for Britain’s trio of riders – are now expected to be auctioned off in an effort to raise around £20 million, which could dent the chance of the squad repeating their success in Rio. Carl Hester plans to sell the animals to raise funds for his business partner Sasha Stewart, whose work in Ireland has been hit hard by the downturn. “It was always the plan to ride them until the Olympics and then they would be sold,” Hester said.

“I’d like to say thank you to the other owners for taking the risk and letting us keep them that long.” Hester, born in Sark, won the Channel Islands’ second Olympic medal, and interest in the tiny location was reported to have increased after his victory with official website traffic up 150%. A spokesman told the BBC most interest had come from “the UK, Europe and especially Canada”. Victoria Pendleton Cycling, keirin gold and individual sprint silver There has rarely been a dull moment in Pendleton’s track racing career and her penchant for drama was maintained during her final days as a competitor at the velodrome. There was disqualification when she looked set for a certain silver medal, and maybe better, in the women’s team sprint with Jess Varnish, a glorious gold medal in the keirin and a showdown with her old nemesis Anna Meares in the individual sprint. “I’m glad that it was me and Anna in the final even if this time the result went against me,” said Pendleton. “It was the way it should have been. She was and is a fantastic competitor.” Her retirement after the race can be seen as a massive changing of the guard.

“If you look for every aspect of a true champion, Vicky possesses them,” said British performance director Dave Brailsford. “I’m sure she’ll take that into the rest of her life. I’d like to say thanks on behalf of British Cycling, because British Cycling owes Vicky Pendleton a huge amount.” Pendleton insists she will not race competitively again: her thoughts are trained on her marriage to fiance and personal coach Scott Gardner, and more humdrum pursuits. “I’d really like to do a cake-decorating course, and a pattern-making course with my mum,” she said. Peter Wilson Shooting, double trap Already merging into the background after his brief moment in the limelight, the 25 year-old from Dorset was on the tube heading to the Olympic Park unnoticed last Saturday when he overheard two youngsters debating whether Mo Farah had a chance in the 5,000 metres. He leaned forward into their conversation and, taking from his pocket the gold medal he won in the double trap shooting, asked if they had ever seen one up close before.

Recounting how the boys’ mother had given him the sort of look that flashed 'stranger danger’, he nevertheless reckoned that the look of astonishment and excitement on the boys’ faces was one of his experiences of the Games. “All the talk is of inspiring a generation,” he said. “I really hope to inspire a handful of people as a more realistic goal.” Wilson recalled the encounter at a homecoming party in the hamlet of Wootton Glanville on Monday night. Despite there only being 120 people registered as living there, double that number crammed into the village hall. Wilson, who had lost his voice in the days after victory, had initially planned to head to Dubai after the Olympics to train with his coach Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Hasher Al Maktoum. But he put the trip on hold to enjoy his victory. Greg Rutherford Athletics, long jump The man from Milton Keynes knows he was considered one of Britain’s surprise gold medallists of the Games, even though he went into the long jump as the world number one on 2012 form. But he always believed he could emulate Lynn 'the Leap’ Davies, and so did his family.

“I had my parents [Tracy and Andy] there watching, as well as my girlfriend, her mum, brother and sister and a few friends as well,” he said. “To have them all there just after I’d won was a bit tearjerking. You forget your mum and dad are probably more nervous than you – somebody needed to be there with a de-fib for my dad just in case! – but I just felt so happy I could reward them now and give them back a gold medal for all their help and support down the years. “It made me think of how supportive my family had been through the years, how through all the sports I tried they were there pushing me on, driving me to Eton for track or to Birmingham for football. They always gave me everything I needed.” Rutherford, who had been so promising but had so often been the nearly man because of injuries, wonders if the triumph might just be the making of him. “There’s never going to be anything bigger than winning a home Olympics,” he admitted. “But now I want to win as many major medals as I can.” Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins For Grainger, gold signalled catharsis.

After three successive silvers, she finally clutched the prize she most coveted as she embraced great friend Sir Steve Redgrave, the five-time Olympic champion, on the shore. “To be honest he wasn’t saying much,” she said. “I don’t know how he coped with five amazing moments like that – just one has filled me up with joy.” She conceded, having shed her status as the eternal bridesmaid, that her career would have felt incomplete without the adornment of Olympic gold. “I wouldn’t have felt any less of a person, but from an athlete’s point of view I would have seen it as a very obvious missing link.” Watkins, who like Grainger is continuing to combine her rowing training with studying for a doctorate, said: “There was pressure from ourselves, because we only wanted one medal. But there was so much trust and confidence in each other.” Grainger, 36, claims she does not know if she will carry on for a fifth Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but is content to bask in the satisfaction of a lifetime’s ambition fulfilled. “It has been a long, long wait.

I’ve had a great few years, and this is the culmination of a lot of hard work.” Team show jumping Nick Skelton, Scott Brash, Peter Charles and Ben Maher Skelton’s return, together with his horse Big Star, to his yard in Alcester on Sunday, sparked huge celebrations locally. As word leaked out across social networking sites, one friend drove four hours from Aberystwyth to be there to help the great survivor of British show jumping celebrate his gold medal success. According to those who were there, drink was taken. Returning with team-mate Brash, Skelton was thrilled by the reception – which included the local post box being painted gold in his honour. It made the 54-year-old veteran – Britain’s most senior gold medallist – even more determined to press on for another stab in Rio. "It was wonderful,” he said. “Retire? No definitely not. Big Star’s only young. As for me, get my back fixed and I should be good as new.” His team-mate Charles is also home in the Hampshire village of Bentworth, near Alton, while Maher headed back to Essex lamenting the fact the arena in Greenwich is being dismantled.

“We were in an amazing setting with very high set-back stands and people all rooting for their own country, it was a completely different feeling from any other horse show,” he said. “It’s sad we don’t get to keep it.” Alistair Brownlee Triathlon For Brownlee, the small matter of completing a 1,500m swim, 43km bike ride and 10km run was a doddle compared to the gruelling experience of being an Olympic gold medal winner. “I had done 20 interviews by the next morning,” he revealed. “I didn’t realise that there were so many news channels.” The interest in Brownlee was understandable: not only was he Great Britain’s first ever triathlon Olympic champion, he stood on the podium alongside his brother Jonny, who won bronze, becoming the first siblings to win an Olympic medal in the same event since the Searle brothers in the men’s eight in 1992. Yet for the champion himself, the experience was strangely underwhelming. “You spend so much time dedicating yourself to winning an Olympic gold medal and actually I didn’t feel any different at all,” he said.

“I don’t know how I expected to feel.” Brownlee now plans to return to his native Yorkshire, for more gruelling runs on the local fells as he prepares to tackle the 10,000m, as well as the triathlon, at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. “That would be a dream - it would be nice to have a bit of a different challenge,” he said. In the mean time, Brownlee has a Masters to complete at Leeds Metropolitan University: “I’ve got a dissertation in finance to do at some point.” Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny, Sir Chris Hoy Cycling, team sprint Of all Britain’s golden moments in the velodrome, this was the glorious surprise – at least to the cycling world at large, who had watched GB being consistently beaten by both Germany and France during the four years after Beijing. Going into the Games, however, there were rumours emanating from the British camp of some exceptionally fast times by the trio. “We had trained well since the World Championships and knew it was possible,” Hoy recalled. “It didn’t come right out of the blue, but it was still overwhelming when it happened. We enjoyed it and we gave it our all.

I dug deeper than ever before; I didn’t want to let the boys down.” Hoy’s contribution was immense, as always, but it was the performance of Hindes, who was riding at man one, which was the real revelation, according to former Olympian Chris Boardman. “With Jason Kenny and Chris Hoy on board it was all about giving them a launching pad and suddenly this 19 year-old is drafted in late on,” he said. “He had to deliver the ride of his life on the night. That’s exactly what he did and after that GB were flying.” Laura Trott Cycling, omnium and team pursuit The velodrome was rightly saluted as the most boisterous venue at the London Games, and there was no louder cheer than when Trott, the new golden girl of British cycling, claimed victory in the elimination race on day one of the omnium and then clinched gold in the 500m TT 24 hours later.

Although Trott was already a world champion and, indeed, an Olympic gold medallist from the women’s team pursuit event, her individual triumph in London represented the coming of age for an athlete who will form the cornerstone of the women’s squad for years to come, and cemented her reputation as the new Victoria Pendleton. The attention will take some getting used to. “I suppose the strangest thing was just the enormity of suddenly becoming a double Olympic champion,” she said. “My feet hardly touched the ground as I got whisked from one interview to another. I enjoyed the experience but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so full on.” Proof of her new-found fame came on the final day of track cycling, when she was snapped sharing a kiss with boyfriend and fellow cyclist Jason Kenny: the image promptly made front pages nationwide. Charlotte Dujardin Equestrian, individual dressage Dujardin helped win Britain’s first medal of any colour in the history of Olympic team dressage. Not content with one, she then picked up another gold in the individual event, celebrating both victories on a riverboat on the Thames.

The achievement put her in the most elite of sporting sisterhoods, up with Kelly Holmes and Laura Trott in the pantheon of British women who have won more than one gold in a single Games. The niece of the talent show judge Nigel Lythgoe, her immediate plan is for a short holiday on the Isle of Sark with her trainer, British team-mate Carl Hester, who has invited 60 friends to visit his birthplace. She believes it will be a good place to get away from all the hubbub and to work out what her success is going to mean to her. “It’s a bit of a surreal feeling. I think it will probably take a few weeks for it all to sink in,” she said. “It’s going to be great to just have four days of chill-out and relaxing. This has all been the most unbelievable experience.” Britain won more equestrian medals that at any other Games, and topped the medal table above Germany and Holland. Ben Ainslie Sailing, Finn The 35 year-old has been a busy man since securing that historic fourth gold medal to become the most decorated Olympic sailor of all time.

He was handed the honour of being the flag bearer for Team GB at the London 2012 closing ceremony. But he has not had much time to take it all in. It has, he admits, been a whirlwind. Today he sails his Olympic dinghy Rita up the Thames, in the shadow of Westminster, before heading off for 12 months in San Francisco where he is joining defending America’s Cup team Oracle at the same time as starting his own team, Ben Ainslie Racing, with a view to a full-blown assault on the oldest active trophy in international sport. “I’m sure that in 10 years’ time I will look back and remember this period as an incredible experience – carrying the flag at the closing ceremony was one of the proudest moments of my life – but at the moment it feels slightly surreal. You’re so exhausted and yet so conscious of trying to take everything in.

It helps that I already have my next challenge about to begin.” Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Peter Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas Cycling, team pursuit Considered the blue riband event of the sport, the British squad had been under huge pressure after under-performing since taking gold in Beijing but suddenly started to turn a corner during the winter and entered the Olympics off the back of their first significant win over Australia in four years at the World Championships in April. At the Games there was no stopping them, as Great Britain broke their own world record both in qualifying and the final. “It was wonderful to see such a hard-working bunch of lads rewarded for their efforts,” reflected coach Dan Hunt. “When you see them flog themselves through the winter and give up so much you want something good for them. “GB were awesome on the day but don’t think it came easy, far from it. We didn’t fire for a couple of years, we couldn’t get the mix right, we had injuries and we had days when it just wasn’t happening. But they are special blokes and they kept plugging away and the back-up staff gave them every support we could.

The end result was the performance we always dreamed of.” Luke Campbell Brownlee brothers take triathlon by storm - CNN.com Brownlee brothers take triathlon by storm By Updated 12:09 PM ET, Tue August 7, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Alistair Brownlee (R) and brother Jonny pose with their medals after the men's triathlon Story highlights Alistair Brownlee wins gold in the men's triathlon at the London Olympics His brother Jonny finishes third with Spain's Javier Gomez taking the silver Alistair takes one hour 45 minutes and 23 seconds to complete course Britain take gold in team dressage event to beat their tally from Beijing Alistair Brownlee claimed Britain's first ever medal in the men's Olympic triathlon, taking gold ahead of two-time world champion Javier Gomez and his brother Jonny, who won bronze despite incurring a 15 second penalty. It marked Team GB's 19th gold medal of the London Games, matching the number they landed in Beijing four years ago.

The elder of the two brothers, Alistair, recovered from months out with injury to take his first Olympic gold medal in a grueling event that comprises a 1.5km swim, 43km bike ride and a 10km run. The 24-year-old clocked a time of one hour 45 minutes and 23 seconds to edge out Gomez and could afford to grab a Union Jack flag from the crowd and canter through the final 100 meters. Jonny, 22, had to receive medical treatment after the race but showed guts and determination to take third after being penalized for mounting his bike too soon after the swim. JUST WATCHED All the action from day eleven with our London 2012 live blog Alistair's triumph was soon followed by another as Laura Bechtolsheimer, Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin helped Britain win the team dressage event in Greenwich Park. "It feels a bit underwhelming in a way because Jonny has collapsed and he's not feeling too good," Alistair told the host broadcaster after the race. "That race was just unbelievable. I felt in control right from the start.

And the crowds, I don't think I've ever come across anything anywhere near like that and I doubt I ever will again. "My ears are still ringing with the noise. It was absolutely amazing. I'm massively proud. It's been talked about so much that Great Britain haven't won a triathlon medal so the pressure was stacked up. "To get two of us, two British brothers, on the podium -- you couldn't ask for any more." Both brothers finished the end of the swimming leg in the leading pack but Jonny was handed a penalty for mounting his bike too early after leaving Hyde Park's Serpentine lake. At the end of the 43km bike stage both were at the front as British teammate Stuart Hayes played the role of pace setter. Alistair moved away from the field in the early stages of the 10km run, allowing Jonny to leave enough of a cushion to serve his 15 second penalty and rejoin the race clear in third. The elder brother ended with a time of 29 minutes and seven seconds in the 10km run -- just over a minute and a half slower than compatriot Mo Farah who won the 10,000 meters on Saturday.

Alsatair said he had purposely ran a fast opening lap to give his brother the best chance to win a medal. He added: "We knew he had a penalty early in the bike and I was telling him 'Calm down, you can still easily get on the podium with a 15 second penalty.' "I took the first lap of the run out really hard to try and get Jonny as far away from the others as I could. Gomez was having a great race again today so there was not much we could do about that. "Jonny is fine, triathlon is a tough sport and we've both been in that position. I think it was deceptively hard today, obviously it was fast but with this humid, muggy day, it dehydrates you and he was right on the edge at the finish." Brownlees storm to medal wins - ITV News 7 August 2012 at 1:30pm Brownlees storm to medal wins Thousands of Team GB fans cheered the Brownlee brothers to their historic gold and bronze triathlon triumph today. Alistair lived up to his pre-race billing with an emphatic victory while it was younger brother Jonathan who finished third.

Brownlee brothers crowned Yorkshire's latest Olympics heroes The Brownlee brothers' success in the men's triathlon continued the outstanding medal haul of athletes from Yorkshire at London 2012. Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee's swim, cycle and runs to gold and bronze, respectively, has seen them hailed as local heroes in Leeds, as ITV Calendar reports . Their dedication and commitment to their sport is astonishing, and they are perfect ambassadors and role models for Leeds. It is wonderful to see that rewarded with this well-deserved success. We cannot wait to give them a heroes’ welcome when they come back to Leeds to celebrate. – LORD MAYOR OF LEEDS COUNCILLOR ANN CASTLE London 2012 - Day 11 - Chris Hoy crowned British Olympic king - Olympic News London 2012 - Day 11 - Chris Hoy crowned British Olympic king Chris Hoy became the most decorated British Olympian in history, while his team-mate Alistair Brownlee clinched victory in the triathlon, as the battle for the podium places in most of the team sports began to heat up...

Chris Hoy crowned British Olympic king At the Olympic Velodrome, Chris Hoy successfully defended his keirin title to win a second gold at London 2012 , after helping Great Britain to victory in the team sprint . It was the Scot’s sixth Olympic gold in total, and his seventh medal overall from his three appearances at the Games , making him the most successful British Olympian of all time. Cheered on by a euphoric crowd, Hoy pipped Germany’s Maximilian Levy to the line, while New Zealander Simon van Velthooven and Ted Mulder of the Netherlands were tied for the bronze. Another British favourite Victoria Pendleton, who had already won gold in the women’s keirin , suffered heartache in the defence of her individual sprint title, as she was disqualified after the first leg of the three-leg final against Anna Meares for straying out of the sprint lane. That enabled the Australian to clinch her second Olympic gold, eight years after winning the women’s 500m in Athens .

Laura Trott ensured the day ended on another high for Team GB at the velodrome, as she won the first ever Olympic title in the women’s Omnium , completing the six-discipline event ahead of American Sarah Hammer and Australia’s Annette Edmondson, to add to the gold she won as part of the British women’s pursuit team . Taoufik Makhloufi wins the 1,500m Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi won the final of the 1,500m in 3:34.08 after launching a successful break in the last lap. USA’s Leonel Manzano emerged at the head of the four-strong chasing pack to claim the silver, just 71/100ths of a second behind Makhloufi, while Morocco’s Abdalaati Iguider crossed the line in 3:35.13 for the bronze. There was a tense wait at the end of the women’s 100m hurdles final, as all eyes turned to the giant scoreboard for confirmation of Sally Pearson’s victory in a new Olympic record time of 12.35.

The Australian finished a mere 2/100ths of a second ahead of the defending champion Dawn Harper of the USA , who was followed over the line by two other Americans, Kellie Wells, who took the bronze, and Lolo Jones who came in fourth. In the men’s high jump , Russia’s Ivan Ukhov was the only athlete to go clear at 2.38m (doing so with his first attempt) and that was enough to secure the gold. USA’s Erik Kynard took silver with a best effort of 2.33m, while the bronze was shared by three athletes Mutaz Essa Barshim ( QAT ), Derek Drouin ( CAN ) and Robert Grabarz (GBR) ­­­­– all of whom cleared 2.29m. The men’s discus title went to Germany’s Robert Harding who recorded a distance of 68.27m with his fifth throw, to take the gold ahead of Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi, who managed 68.18m with his first attempt, and Estonian Gerd Kanter , who recorded a best distance of 68.03m with his fifth throw.

Brownlee brothers share the triathlon podium Tens of thousands of spectators flocked to Hyde Park in central London to witness Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee win the men’s triathlon in emphatic style. Having completed the 1.5km swim and 43km cycle race at a high tempo, Brownlee broke free of Spain’s Javier Gómez in the last few kilometres of the 10km run to cross the line first, draped in a Union Jack flag, with a gap of 11 seconds. Alistair’s younger brother Jonathan finished 31 seconds off the pace, having picked up a 15 second stop penalty during the first transition for mounting his bicycle too early, but still did enough to claim the bronze. At the finish Brownlee brothers met in a warm embrace, much to the delight of a delirious public. Two medals in one day for Alexandra Raisman At the North Greenwich Arena, China’s gymnasts claimed a one-two in the balance beam , as Deng Linlin (15.600 pts) and Sui Lu (15.500 pts) took gold and silver respectively.

Behind them, Romania’s Cătălina Ponor and USA’s Alexandra Raisman recorded the same score of 15.066 pts, but the American was awarded the bronze by virtue of a higher execution score. Raisman again got the better of Ponor on the floor , where the American delivered a wonderful routine to become USA’s first ever gold medal winner in the discipline. Russia’s Aliya Mustafina won the bronze. That took Raisman’s London 2012 medal tally to three, as she also captained USA’s women to gold in the team competition . The men’s horizontal bar produced some sensational performances, notably from “the Flying Dutchman” Epke Zonderland, who served up an incredible routine that linked together the discipline’s three most difficult manoeuvres to win gold, and give the Netherlands its first ever Olympic gymnastics medal.Joining Zonderland on the podium were Germany’s Fabian Hambüchen (silver) and China’s Zou Kai , who took bronze to notch up his sixth Olympic medal.

On the men’s parallel bars , China’s Feng Zhe took the title ahead of Germany’s Marcel Ngyuen (silver) and Hamilton Sabot (bronze), the first Frenchman to secure a podium finish on this apparatus and his country’s only medal winner in the gymnastics at London 2012. Golden moment for Team GB in the dressage Prior to London 2012, the host nation’s dressage team had never even managed a place on the podium in the team event , which had been completely dominated by Germany since Los Angeles 1984. All that changed at Greenwich Park, where Charlotte Dujardin (on Valegro), Carl Hester (on Uthopia) and Laura Bechtolsheimer (on Mistral Hojris) scored highest to claim gold, relegating the German trio of Dorothee Schneider, Kristina Sprehe and Helen Langehanenberg to an unfamiliar second place. Three-time individual dressage champion Anky van Grunsven , and her Dutch team-mates Edward Gal and Adelinde Cornelissen took the bronze.

China maintain perfect record in the table tennis At the ExCeL, Li Xiaoxia and Ding Ning, who faced each other in the final of the table tennis women’s singles , joined forces for the team event, along with Guo Yue, and the trio proved far too strong for Japan , prevailing 3-0 in the final to underline their dominance of the sport. Singapore produced a similarly comprehensive victory over South Korea in the bronze medal match. By this stage, with just the men’s team final still to come, China had managed a clean sweep of the table tennis gold medals, winning four out of four. Synchronised swimmers and divers take centre stage at Aquatics Centre Continuing an uninterrupted sequence of Russian synchronised swimming triumphs dating back to Sydney 2000 , Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina secured a resounding victory in the women’s duet at the Aquatics Centre, delighting the crowds with a superb free programme. Spanish pair Ona Carbonell and Andrea Fuentes took the silver, while China’s Liu Ou and Huang Xuechen claimed bronze.

While that was happening, Russian diver Ilya Zakharov produced an assured performance in the men’s individual 3m springboard to see off a dual Chinese challenge from Qin Kai and He Chong, each of whom had won gold medals in Beijing four years earlier. RS:X reaches dramatic climax Following the completion of the medal races at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberghe and Spain’s Marina Alabau were rewarded for their dominance in the men’s and women’s RS:X windsurfing class . With seven victories from 11 races, including the medal race, van Rjjsselberghe’s victory looked pretty assured from early on, while Great Britain’s Nick Dempsey secured a firm grip on second place in the early stages too. There was drama in the battle for bronze though, as Poland’s Przemyslav Miarczynski did just enough in the medal race, finishing fourth, to secure the bronze. Alabau was equally dominant in the women’s competition, securing four race victories on her way to the podium, which she shared with Finland’s Tuuli Petäjä (silver) and Poland’s Zofia Klepacka (bronze).

Iranians shine in weightlifting and wrestling Iran underlined their status as one of the dominant forces in the weightlifting competitions. Following on from the bronze won by Kianoush Rostami in the 85kg category , and Navab Nasirshelal’s silver in the 105kg , the Iranians went one better in the +105kg category , with Behdad Salimi, lifting 208kg in the snatch – 6kg off his world record – and then 247kg in the clean and jerk, to assemble a gold-medal winning total of 455kg. Sajiad Anoushiravani made it an Iranian one-two on th podium with a total of 449kg ((204kg + 245kg), while Russia’s Ruslan Albegov took the bronze, lifting a total of 448kg (208kg + 240kg). There was further joy for Iran in the Greco-Roman wrestling , where Ghasem Rezaei won the men’s -96kg category final, defeating Russia’s Rustam Totrov in two periods.

The other wrestling gold of the day went to South Korea’s Kim Hyeon-Woo who overcame Hungarian Tamás Lőrincz in the final of the men’s -66kg category . Podium places come into view in the team sports The semi-finals of the men’s Olympic football tournament produced an all-Latin American showdown for the gold medal In the semi-finals, the Brazilian "Seleção" eased past South Korea 3-0 thanks to a strike from Romulo and a double from Leandro Damiao; meanwhile, Mexico overcame Japan 3-1, with goals from Fabian, Peralta and Cortes, after Otsu had given the Japanese an early lead. The women’s basketball reached the quarter-finals stage, with the USA (91-48 versus Canada), Australia (75-60 vs China), Russia (66-63 vs Turkey ) and France (71-68 vs the Czech Republic ) all progressing into the last four. The semi-final line-up for the women’s handball was confirmed too, with Norway , Spain , South Korea and Montenegro all winning their quarter-final ties.

South Korea’s women also progressed to the last four of the women’s volleyball , alongside Brazil , Japan and the USA. Finally, in the women’s water polo the USA defeated Australia 11-9 to secure a final showdown against Spain, who edged through their semi-final against Hungary 10-9. Olympic sibling success: Is it all in the genes? - BBC News BBC News Olympic sibling success: Is it all in the genes? By Jenny Minard BBC 2012 9 August 2012 Close share panel Image caption The Brownlee brothers won gold and bronze in the 2012 triathlon Sibling rivalry can be tough at the best of times, but what if those siblings are competing at the Olympics? Does having the same genetic make-up mean you are more likely to be in competition? Or is it training in the same environment which pushes athletes on to succeed? Here we look at "nature versus nurture" - whether success is about having the same genes or training in the same environment. The winners Siblings often tease each other about which one is older and going to go grey quicker. But how does that translate in competitive sport?

Rowers Richard and Peter Chambers competed together to win a silver medal in the lightweight men's four event. Media captionMen's four- Silver medal race was brutal The Northern Ireland pair became the first British brothers to win an Olympic medal since Greg and Jonny Searle took bronze in the coxless four at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Richard is 28, weighs 78kg and is 1.78m tall. In contrast, Peter is six years younger, lighter at 73kg and is taller at 1.87m. One theory suggests that the age gap could give Peter the advantage as an athlete. "Genetically and environmentally speaking they will be fairly similar and have access to similar training programmes," said Dr David Fletcher, director of the sport psychology support service at Loughborough University. "They will progress at a similar rate and keep pushing each other on. With a six-year age gap [such as the Chambers brothers], the older sibling is more of a role model. Olympics coverage online Traffic updates via Twitter @GAOTG "They have a training partner they are always learning from.

Not just physically, but also learning how to handle the sport, the politics and culture." Genetically speaking, Dr Tim Spector, Professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, said age is not a major factor in success. "It depends on the sport. With some you get better with age," he said. But there is a continuing debate around whether success is down to genes or training, he added. "Some believe you can take anybody and train them from an early age to make them an athlete if they have the basic anatomy. "But if you have an older brother training in an elite environment then the younger sibling may also have the chance to train in that environment." For Professor Spector it harks back to the nature versus nurture argument. "It isn't clear cut because we used to think of exercise and training as a pure environmental thing. "But if you exercise more then you can change your genes. "If you exercise for more than three hours per week, you can switch off some of the genes which make you put on fat. If you've inherited some fat genes then you can counteract that." The one that didn't win Judy Murray is well known for cheering on tennis ace Andy Murray , but she also has another reason to shout.

For Jamie Murray is also a player and competed with his brother in the Olympic men's doubles competition. They crashed out in the first-round , losing out to Austria's Jurgen Melzer and Alexander Peya. "We had enough chances to win the matches and both teams played well," Andy told the BBC. Media captionInterview - Team GB tennis pair Andy and Jamie Murray "Doubles can come down to a couple of shots and a couple of points and they got it in the end." Andy then went on to win a men's singles gold medal by beating Roger Federer and a silver in the mixed doubles with Laura Robson, but for Jamie Murray the match with his brother ended his involvement in the Games. "It's disappointing," he told the BBC. And when asked if he was going to stay in the Athletes Village he said: "I don't really want to hang around. There is nothing for me to do. "You'd just remind yourself that you didn't do as well as you would have wanted, but that's life." So when one sibling bows out, it might be a safe presumption that there would be elements of jealousy. Apparently not once athletes get to an Olympic level, according to Dr Fletcher.

"It depends on the individuals and the chances are that if they have gone that far within the sport then it's not a big issue," he explained. "We see it a lot when one sibling outstrips the other and the other sibling just gives up after that. "Once you're an Olympian, then I don't think there would be significant jealousy there. "I don't think Jamie has a great thing to prove, he's won the doubles at Wimbledon and is successful in his own right." The identical twins What happens when you get two athletes, with the same genes - identical twins. Belgians Jonathan and Kevin Borlee competed in the 400m and came within 0.02 seconds of each other in the final. They are the same height at 1.8m and both weigh 67kg. Kevin came in fifth at 44.81 and Jonathan sixth at 44.83. Media captionWhat happens when sporting twins go head to head? "There are less twins competing in the Olympics than you might imagine," said Professor Spector. "One in 80 people in the UK are twins and so we ought to have more. There are one in 250 who are identical.

"The Borlee brothers came within 0.2 seconds and you can't get much closer than that. "But how can someone say that's totally genetic? They do everything together. You know they've had the same environment and training and that's also a factor." Professor Spector said the genes which lead to success include those in the muscles but that the key gene is probably in the brain. "It's the willingness to train and do nothing else, and that comes down to the willpower," he added. "We did some studies in twins around participation in regular sport and it showed that it is down to about 70% genetics - something inside decides whether we get a kick out of it." Jonathan Borlee has told the BBC how his brother pushes him to improve his performance. He also explained how it was his sister Olivia who inspired him to take up running after he saw her perform. Olivia was part of Belgium's silver medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. It seems that success runs in the family. The competitors Alistair and Jonny Brownlee won gold and bronze in the London 2012 triathlon.

And they channelled their sibling rivalry to get to their podium position says fellow West Yorkshire athlete Martin Peace , the chairman of Bingley Harriers. "Being brothers means they're even more competitive with each other than with everybody else," said Mr Peace, who has trained alongside both brothers. Media captionBrownlee 'massively proud' of gold The triathlon involved a 1500m swim in the Serpentine at Hyde Park, followed by a 40km bike ride via Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park Corner, before returning to Hyde Park for a 10km run. Alistair won gold but could be seen slowing down his pace and turning his head around, perhaps looking for his brother or perhaps just savouring the glory. Jonny won bronze after serving a 15-second penalty for mounting his bike too early and was then treated for medical fatigue. They hugged on the finishing line. On winning his gold, Alistair said: "It feels a bit underwhelming in a way because Jonny has just collapsed, he's not feeling too good. but it's fantastic. "Two British brothers on the podium, you couldn't ask for anything more," he added.

Will Lowe is fundraising for Marie Curie We offer expert care, guidance and support to people living with a terminal illness Story Hi, thanks for coming! This is where one would traditionally find an emotional plea for sponsorship. I'm not going to do that. I'm entering the ITU Triathlon World Open in September, racing in the footsteps of the Brownlee Brothers who in 2012 secure Gold and Bronze for Team GB. Of course I won't perform on anything like their level, but I'm going to give it everything I've got. This has given me the opportunity to raise some much needed funding for Marie Curie. If you're not familiar with their work then you're very lucky. They do an amazing job supporting patients and families affected by cancer, and need to raise £10,000 an HOUR in order to do so. A little donation can make a big difference, so thank you very much for your support.

Question: Give the surname of the brothers who won gold and bronze in the triathlon for Team GB?
Answer: Brownlee