Golden dream comes true in the end (From Evesham Journal)

Golden dream comes true in the end

12:44pm Friday 3rd August 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

Katherine Grainger has at last realised her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal after a thrilling race which she led from the front.

After three consecutive silver medals, Grainger feared she would always be the bridesmaid at the Games, but she stormed to victory with her double sculls partner Anna Watkins.

Grainger told the BBC that, unlike Beijing, she would be crying tears of joy this time. "It was worth the wait," she said, adding: "It's just the satisfaction of a job well done." Watkins said: "I just can't believe it, I just had to ask Katherine if it was a dream."

Team GB won also won another two rowing medal at Eton Dorney as George Nash and William Satch took bronze in the men's pair and Alan Campbell won a bronze medal in the men's single sculls.

There was another medal for Great Britain when 32-year-old Karina Bryant, from Surrey, claimed a judo bronze. The North Arena 2 at ExCel was again in full voice having roared Greenwich fighter Gemma Gibbons onto silver 24 hours before.

Earlier, a rapturous crowd in the Olympic Stadium saw Jessica Ennis begin the biggest two days of her sporting life in glorious style.

In the first day of athletics at the Games, only a handful of seats in the 80,000-capacity arena were empty to see the 26-year-old record the fastest time ever for the 100m hurdles in the heptathlon, putting her in first position. It was also a British record for the 100m hurdles.

But elsewhere the controversy continued over five-times Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy's historic triumph in the cycling team sprint on Thursday. The French cycling coach called for a rule change after British rider Philip Hindes appeared to suggest he had crashed deliberately in qualifying to give the team a second chance after a poor start.

Victoria Pendleton will also be looking to banish the disappointment of being disqualified from the team sprint event along with team-mate Jess Varnish for a takeover infringement. The 31-year-old, crowned the queen of the track after her Beijing sprint success, continues her final competition before retirement with her second event, the keirin.

And Rebecca Adlington is also looking to become the first British swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic title in her 800m final.