ANDY Murray smashed his way to singles Gold at Wimbledon on Sunday, beating arch rival Roger Federer in straight sets to help Team GB’s medal tally grow to 37 by the end of day nine.
The Scot secured victory 6-2 6-1 6-4 to get the better of his Swiss rival, turning the tables on him following his loss to Federer in the Wimbledon Championship last month.
Murray’s victory came in under two hours – and it was just as well, with Murray due on court in the final of the mixed doubles with Laura Robson shortly afterwards.
However, Murray had to settle for Silver in that match, with Belarus duo Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi taking the win.
Elsewhere, sailor Ben Ainslie took Gold in the Finn class to become the most successful Olympic sailor of all time with four consecutive Gold medals.
But there was heartache for Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson who were pushed out into Silver position in the Star class at Weymouth.
After their team bronze, GB’s gymnasts Louis Smith and Max Whtilock won Silver and Bronze respectively in the pommel horse.
And in the velodrome, team pursuit Gold medallist Ed Clancy added a Bronze to his 2012 haul in the omnium.
Finally, the day was capped off in great style with Christine Ohuruogu taking Silver in the women’s 400-metre final.
So another day goes by with Team GB third in the medals table. And with more medal chances to come today (Monday), hopes are high or retaining that position.
Ben Ainslie won Gold in sailing's Finn class at Weymouth yesterday to become the most successful Olympic sailor from any nation.
He prevailed over Denmark's Jonas Hogh-Christensen to make it four consecutive Gold medals and add to the Silver he won in Atlanta 1996.
In a nail-biting finish, Ainslie controlled the race superbly. Knowing that he only had to finish ahead of Hogh-Christensen, the Macclesfield-born sailor did not concern himself with a race win and in the end cruised to his title.
The pair ended the regatta level on 46 points, with the Brit taking the Gold because he finished higher in the final medal race.
“That was one of the scariest races I have ever had to go through, the wind was all over the place making it very, very difficult,” said Ainslie.
“I stuck to it and did the job – it’s just an amazing feeling and I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped me over the years to get to this point.
"Everyone in our team, from the coaches to the support staff and the other team members and sailors – they are a fantastic team who have helped me get here.”
Sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson had Gold within their sights in the Star class final at Weymouth, but had to settle for Silver after a dramatic event yesterday.
Heading for Gold, a sudden gust of wind propelled three boats past Percy and Simpson, condemning them to Silver with the Swedish pair claiming Gold.
“It can be cruel," said a distraught Percy. "It feels it at the moment. That’s the problem, you end up racing in ridiculous conditions but we got it wrong. It’s pretty gutting, we feel a bit robbed but we will have to take it on the chin.”
Louis Smith won Silver in a dramatic men’s pommel horse final, with GB team-mate Max Whitlock taking Bronze at the North Greenwich Arena on Sunday.
Smith scored the same points - 16.066 - as the Hungarian winner Krisztian Berki, but was denied the title as he scored a lower 9.066 on execution compared to Berki’s 9.166, despite a higher difficulty score of 7.0 to Berki’s 6.9.
Along with Smith’s performance, a dazzling routine from 19-year-old team-mate Whitlock scored him 15.600 and a bronze medal on his Olympic debut.
"I wasn't too focused on what anyone else was doing,” said Smith afterwards. “My routine was hard enough, let alone trying to worry about what anyone else was trying to do. So I just tried to stay focused, stay chilled, listen to my music and keep calm."
And Whitlock, who didn’t enter the final as a podium favourite, added: "I didn't even think I would get a medal, so it's an amazing feeling.
ED Clancy won a Bronze medal for Team GB in the men’s omnium event at the Olympic Velodrome.
Clancy, 27 and from Barnsley, added to his team pursuit Gold with a consistent performance in the omnium. The event is a series of six different disciplines, the scores from which are aggregated to give a rider’s overall total.
"I came here for team pursuit Gold,” he admitted afterwards. “In the omnium I knew it was touch and go whether I got a medal.
“I had the form of my life in the 1km time trial, the flying lap and the individual pursuit. At one point I was looking at getting the gold but, in the scratch, it just slipped away.”
Earlier in the day, Victoria Pendleton stormed her way to yet another Olympic quarter final in the women’s sprint after setting a new Olympic record in her flying lap of 10.724 seconds, beating her own previous mark from Beijing 2008.
BOA chairman Lord Colin Moynihan yesterday called on the Government not to waste the inspirational Olympic heroics of Team GB and find the necessary funding to encourage greater participation in sport.
Lord Moynihan said it needed a "step change" in policy to produce a sport system which rivals other leading nations.
“What is absolutely important for those in power is to make sure that thousands of kids from Lewisham to Loughborough, to Leeds and right across the country, both able bodied and disabled, are not only inspired by the sport but that the inspiration is translated into participation and that requires a step-change in sports policy,” he said.
Jason Kenny looked in blistering form as he booked his place in the semi final of the individual sprint, clocking a time of 10.03 seconds, the fastest time in qualification in the velodrome.
Kenny will be looking to add to his already impressive medal tally, but will have to contend with Trinidad’s Nicholas Njisane Phillip in the semi-final before heading into the final, where Kenny is likely to meet Frenchman Gregory Bauche.
Beth Tweddle, Britain’s best female rhythmic gymnast, will have her shot at a Gold medal on the uneven bars today.
Tweddle is the reigning world champion and comes into the event in good form after producing two storming performances in the women’s team all around event.
Team GB’s track and field captain Dai Greene will be looking to cause an upset as he runs in the men’s 400-metre hurdles later today.
Greene made it through to the final courtesy of one of the fastest loser spots and will be hoping to produce one of the finest runs of his career to propel himself into the medal places.
Team GB’s show jumping team look set to add to their eventing team medal as the final jumps are recorded today.
Great Britain are currently joint second alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland with just four faults after the first half of the event.