It’s 16 years since the Sydney Olympic Games, when Team GB returned from Australia with 11 golds, 10 silvers and seven bronze medals, which back then was our most successful Games since 1920. It was the first Games that Team GB athletes had benefitted from National Lottery funding, following its introduction in 1997.
Stephanie Cook and Kate Allenby produced the perfect end to Team GB’s most successful Olympics since 1920 with a famous gold and bronze in the first-ever women’s modern pentathlon.
Cook, who put her career as a doctor on hold to focus on the Olympics, won Great Britain’s 11th gold in the event introduced by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics.
After three events she was a distant 14th but a good ride left her eighth ahead of the decisive run.
And the former international athlete, who finished seventh in the 1997 English National Cross Country Championships, powered past rivals to quickly make up the 49 second deficit.
Cook secured the gold by passing American Emily deRiel and team-mate Allenby with 400m to go, covering her her face with her hands as she crossed the line, after which tears soon flowed.
"I never dreamed it would be like this. I'm thrilled to bits,” she said.
“This is a day none of us will forget in a hurry. I've been so inspired by watching British athletes doing so well here.
“It made you think winning medals was easy. We've had to wait until the last day but this is a brilliant way to end the Games for Britain.
"I love running and I've made up bigger deficits before so I always knew I could do it.
“It was just a case of keeping my head and not going out too fast. But it wasn't until I crossed the line that I knew the gold medal was mine."
Cook went on to win individual World and European titles in 2001 before retiring from the sport.
Sportsbeat 2016