Jason Kenny and Katherine Grainger were the stars on Day 6 as Team GB’s medal flurry continued at Rio 2016.
Despite winning the team sprint event at the two previous Olympic Games, the new trio of Kenny, Philip Hindes and Callum Skinner had only finished sixth at the Worlds in March of this year.
But on the opening day in the velodrome the triumvirate upset the formbook to clock a new Olympic record and claim the first track cycling gold medal of the Games.
Both team pursuits squads also enjoyed successful qualifying rides with the women in particular in blistering form, setting a new world record with their opening effort.
Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald took over 0.4 seconds off their previous best as they came home in 4:13.260. Previous record holders Australia were third fastest with the USA second.
The men also set the fastest qualification time with Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Owain Doull and Sir Bradley Wiggins finishing in 3:51.943, only 0.3 seconds slower than their London 2012 world record, as they also set the quickest time of the night.
At Lagoa Stadium Grainger made history as she and Vicky Thornley claimed a dramatic silver medal, just being edged out by Poland in a thrilling finish to the women’s double sculls final.
The silver medal was a historic one for Grainger as it takes her Olympic collection to four silvers and a gold, the haul of five Olympic medals equalling the most won by a British woman, matching Kathleen Godfree’s five tennis medals from Antwerp 1920 and Paris 1924.
Grainger is also the first British female to win a medal at five consecutive Games while it was the first Olympic medal for Thornley having competed as part of the Team GB eight at London 2012.
Despite the medal triumph, there was some disappointment for Team GB as the quadruple sculls finished fifth in their final while the men’s pair of Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes fell agonisingly short of a medal in fourth.
Defending Olympic champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning stormed into the women’s pair final in spectacular fashion with the duo looking like overwhelming favourites for gold.
Despite a heavy defeat in the final to Fiji, Team GB’s men’s rugby sevens squad picked up silver as the first rugby medals in 92 years were handed out.
Dan Norton scored GB’s only try of the final as they went down 43-7 to the Pacific Islanders, who won their first ever Olympic medal in the process.
David Florence and Richard Hounslow won Team GB’s 14th medal of the Games, replicating their C2 silver medal winning performance of four years ago at London 2012.
Slovakian cousins Peter and Ladislav Skantar finished just 0.43 seconds ahead of the Brits, who watched on as both the Czech and German pairs failed to beat their time.
Hounslow becomes a double Olympic medallist while Florence wins silver at his third consecutive Games – all a day after Joe Clarke’s stunning gold in the K1
Justin Rose made golfing history in more ways than one as the sport ended its 112-year Olympic wait at Rio 2016, as he became the first man to hit a hole-in-one.
Rose is still very in hunt as he finished round one on -4, four shots behind Australian leader Marcus Fraser while teammate Danny Willett sits level par overnight.
Charlotte Dujardin sits in first place in the individual dressage competition following the completion of the Grand Prix stage with Team GB sitting in silver medal position in the team rankings.
The double Olympic champion from London 2012 scored 85.071% on Valegro to go first, clear ahead of Kristina Broring-Sprehe of Germany in second.
Carl Hester, Britain’s other competitor on day two, recorded a score of 75.529% to sit 15th, but with all four German riders in the top seven, Team GB are behind them in the team standings.
Olympic debutante Chloe Tutton was a fingertip away from landing a shock medal in the pool as she finished an impressive fourth in the 200m breaststroke.
Also competing in the first final of her Olympic debut, Tutton’s teammate Molly Renshaw finished two places back in sixth on 2:22.72.
Dan Wallace was the third Brit in final action on the night, finishing eighth in the 200m individual medley in 1:58.54.
In the night’s semi-finals, Ben Proud beat his own British record to qualify fifth fastest for the 50m freestyle final in 21.54 while James Guy was 14th overall in the 100m butterfly semis.
Joshua Buatsi smashed his way into the light-heavyweight quarter finals with a knockout victory over third seed and world silver medallist Elshod Rasulov of Uzbekistan.
Light-welterweight Pat McCormack also progressed in his first round bout, claiming a split decision win over Kazakhstan teenager Ablaikhan Zhussupov.
However, welterweight Josh Kelly’s campaign came to an end in the second round as he lost to second seed Daniyar Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan in a unanimous decision.
Andy Murray was made to work hard before seeing off Fabio Fognini in the third round of the men’s singles.
Murray returned to the court to begin his mixed doubles campaign with Heather Watson and chalked up another win, this time in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 over David Ferrer and Carla Suarez Navarro.
Johanna Konta was also in action but suffered two defeats, her singles campaign ending in the quarter-final stage after a 6-1, 6-2 defeat to No.2 seed Angelique Kerber.
Konta then partnered Jamie Murray in the mixed doubles for the first time but the Team GB pair were to fall 6-4, 6-3 to the American duo of Jack Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Elsewhere, Natalie Powell bowed out in the repechage of the -78kg in the judo, Naomi Folkard went out in the quarter-finals of the archery individual elimination, Jennifer McIntosh finished in 18th place in qualification for the 50m rifle three positions and Ellie Downie came 13th in the women’s gymnastics individual all-around final.
In sailing Giles Scott remains on course for the Olympic gold medal after a strong recovery from a poor start saw him retain the top spot in the men’s Finn class.
Elsewhere there was a good performance from Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark in the women’s 470 as a first placed finish in the day’s first race and a sixth in the second left them third overall.
In the RS: X Men, Nick Dempsey finished fifth and eighth to retain silver medal position in the overall standings while in the men’s 470 pairing of Luke Patience and Chris Grube secured finishes of fifth and sixth to leave them sixth in the overall standings.
Team GB’s women’s hockey team continued their unbeaten start to the Rio 2016 tournament with a 2-0 win over Japan.
On the first day of the badminton Rajiv Ouseph and Kirsty Gilmour both recorded victories in their opening singles group matches.
But married mixed doubles pairing Chris and Gabby Adcock, Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge and Heather Olver and Lauren Smith were all beaten.
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