Perfect Paralympic Night For GB As Weir Takes Third Gold And Peacock Beats Pistorius

David Weir and his wheel-chair lit up the Olympic Stadium on a balmy night as he took his third 2012 gold medal in the T54 men's 800m final to become Britain's first triple gold medal winner on the track in these Games, just hours after Hannah Cockcroft completed her T34 sprint double. There was more success to come for the home nation and it came in the form of a dramatic T44 men's 100m final in the battle of the blade runners. 

The men's 100m T44 final was always going to be the night's show-piece event with Paralympic GB runner Jonnie Peacock going into the race as the 2/1 favourite and world record holder with a personal best of 10.85 seconds. There were plenty of other big names in the field though, none more known than Oscar Pistorius, who is the face of these Games. The start was crucial and it was the home favourite who flew out of the blocks as Pistorius started sluggishly. It was American Richard Browne who went with the Briton and even though it looked close at one stage, the 19-year-old powered away from the rest of the field to win in a Paralympic record of 10.90 seconds. Browne took silver in 11.03 as Pistorius was run out of the medals, finishing in fourth in 11.17 behind team-mate Arnu Fourie who took bronze in 11.08.

The great South African Pistorius was gracious in defeat: "What we have seen tonight is the beginning of a great 100m sprinter. Not just a great Paralympian, but a great sprinter. I was hoping to finish in the medals but the 100 metres is just not my thing. Also my room-mate Arnu pipped me on the line so well done to him. The 100 has always been a big event and he (Peacock) just blew us away, the first sub 11 second final in a Paralympic Games."

Just minutes before Weir went in search of his third gold medal and the 'Weir-wolf' was put under pressure from the off, although he sat in position 'A' in second place as the racers took to the inside lane. Lixin Zhang of China held the early lead and looked as though he could hold on as the athletes went into the home straight for the second and last time, however the crowd roared Weir on and he stormed through to take victory  in 1.37.63 from Switzerland's Marcel Hug, who was by then in lane three. An amazing track treble, and the world's best wheel-chair racer will go for marathon gold this week-end. 

The 33-year-old Briton was delighted with his latest win: "That was hard work out there. This one is for my children, its for my kids tonight. I had to dig deep. Of course you do (have doubts) and you can't underestimate your opponents and I knew that the Chinese guy has the best top speed out of anyone. I knew I had to get on the wheel, whether it was him or Marcel. I am tired now and I need to recover for the next two days."

Bolt Takes Sixth Olympic Gold After Mo Farah Completes Double On Amazing Last Athletics Night

There was an immense sense of expectation surrounding the Olympic Stadium as the 80,000 strong crowd waited for the last night of athletics. The majority of the crowd were there to watch Brit Mo Farah's attempt to break records and win the 5,000 metres exactly a week after his 10,000 triumph. There were the small matters of the men's 4x100 metres and women's 4x400 metres relays to follow but the attention was firmly on Farah and company as the men's 5,000 metres final kicked off the evening. 

After Super Saturday's dramatic win in his more favoured event Farah was hoping that he could replicate that and complete the double with 5,000 metres gold. He had plenty of competition on the starting line in the shape of Dejen Gebremeskel and Yenew Alamirew of Ethiopia, the two fastest qualifiers, and Kenyan Isiah Kiplangat Koech and Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan who both finished ahead of the Brit in their heat. Add in Farah's American training partner Galen Rupp and this was always going to be a great race.

A deafening roar was let out as the Somalian-born runner was introduced to the crowd and a similar rumble was felt after the starter's gun. Farah kept himself in contention with considerable ease as it became clear that the race was going to be slow and won by the best sprint finish. The 29-year-old gradually moved his way into second place and he made his move with just over 600 metres to go as he pushed away from the Ethiopians to take a narrow lead. As the athletes took the bell it appeared as though Farah was being reeled in and by the time they had completed the back straight he had five runners less than a few metres behind. But his opponents should know by now never to rule him out and the crowd appeared to lift him as he kicked on around the bend. Down the home straight he stretched his lead and sprinted away to win in 13:41.66  ahead of Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskel (13:41.98) in silver and Kenya's Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa (13:42.36) in bronze.

Farah became the first Briton to win a long-distance track event at the Olympics a week ago and this latest  achievement makes him the first man to ever win the Olympic 5,000 metre title on home soil as well as just the seventh man to win both the 10,000 and 5,000 metres in the same Games. He joined an illustrious list that includes Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele and Miruts Yifter, Finns Lasse Virens and Hannes Kolehmainen, Vladimir Kuts of the USSR and Czech Emil Zapotek.

There was more to come in the Olympic Stadium as the Jamaicans set the second 4x100 metre relay world record of the Games. The quartet of Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater went into the final as favourites and the overcame their American rivals to win in a ground-breaking time of 36.85 seconds. A USA team including Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin kept up with the team in the lane next to them for the majority of the race but the now six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt ran away from Ryan Bailey to ensure his third gold medal of these Olympics. Bolt is now just four behind Carl Lewis' record of ten Olympic golds and is the first man to win six sprinting titles over two Olympics. Young apprentice Yohan Blake collected his first gold and he hopes that there will be many more in four years time.

In the women's 4x400 metre relay the Americans cruised to their second relay gold with Allyson Felix claiming her third of these Olympics. The Brits could not live with the pace and Christine Ohuruogu was left with too much to do on the final lap as they finished outside of the medals. In the women's 800 metre final Russian Mariya Savinova won in 1:56.19 as favourite Caster Semenya left it too late to mount a challenge and took silver. 

Mo Farah Hoping For Historic Win On London's Penultimate Night In The Spotlight

The host nation has put on a great show over the last couple of weeks and have matched that with excellent performances around the various Olympic venues. On the penultimate day of Olympic action team GB have already sealed one gold medal thanks to trainee accountant Ed McKeever in the K1 200 metre canoe sprint.  18-year-old diver Tom Daley has qualified for tonight's 10 metre platform final after finishing in fourth in the semi-final. Despite only reaching the semi-finals by the skin of his teeth, a much improved effort this morning will give him high medal hopes. Boxer Luke Campbell faces Irishman John Joe Nevin in the ExCel Arena in the men's bantamweight gold medal bout at 20:45. 

So with gold medal chances aplenty around London Great Britain will be hopeful of ending these historic Games with a good weekend. Tonight will be the last session of athletics competition and all eyes will be on Somalian-born Brit Mo Farah as he looks to complete the long-distance double of 10,000 and 5,000 metres. He has had a golden three years with three European golds, a world championship gold and last Saturday's thrilling 10,000 metres win. 

Four years ago Britain's first ever long-distance Olympic winner failed to even qualify for the 5,000 metre final but this time around he is one of the favourites to win it. In Barcelona in 2010 the runner won his first ever major titles as he became the first man in 66 years to win the European long-distance track double. This sparked a turn-around as he went from middle of the pack battler to front-runner. He went to Daegu last summer as the favourite for the 10,000 metres but made his move a fraction too early and was overhauled by Ethiopian Ibahim Jelian as he was made to settle for silver in his favoured event. He came back brilliantly in the 5,000 though as he beat Bernard Lagat to win gold. In aftermath of the race Dave Moorcroft, former 5,000 metre world record holder, hailed him 'Britain's greatest male long-distance runner.'

Tonight Mohamed Farah could write himself a place in British sporting annals as he tries to do what no Briton has ever accomplished before; the 5,000 and 10,000 metre Olympic double. He is aiming to join an elite group of only five men that includes his rival, the great Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele. Moorcroft thinks that Farah is on the cusp of history: “His place is assured as the greatest British male endurance runner but if he was to do it, you couldn’t think of a greater achievement by any British athlete. He stands on the edge of absolute greatness.”

Comments like this only show the magnitude facing one of London's favourite sons and there are many excellent runners who will be out to stop him. His training partner, American Galen Rupp, took silver last Saturday and will be hoping to go one better this time around while the great nations of long-distance running, the Kenyans and Ethiopians, will be out in force to stop Farah tonight. Dejen Gebremeskel and Yenew Alamirew of Ethiopia were the two fastest qualifiers while Farah finished third in his heat behind Kenyan Isiah Kiplangat Koech and Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan. 

By his own admission Britain's best was tired after that run but after two days rest he should be revitalised and ready for the final. Even when tiredness does kick in he always seems to be able to kick on when it is needed most and the 80,000 strong crowd will be right behind him when push comes to shove. 

Rudisha And Bolt Take Centre Stage As Records Drop Like Flies

There was a great sense of expectation surrounding the Olympic Stadium as many people were hoping to see unforgettable performances on the track. The majority of the hype surrounded the latest instalment of Bolt v Blake but there was a man with other ideas. The Kenyan world record holder and defending 800 metres world champion David Rudisha was probably the biggest favourite of any event in this Olympics' athletics competition. 

His coach Colm O'Connell said that: "There are three things on a global level that you can achieve in athletics, he has two of them. There is one missing. Winning the Olympics, he knows, will give him immortality." The 23-year-old has had an amazing rise from Maasai warrior to world record holder and it was O'Connell who plucked him out of obscurity over eight years ago. He ran 1.49.6 in his first ever 800 metres in Kenya in horrendous conditions. Lord Sebastian Coe, the former world-record holder, said before tonight's final that he thinks Rudisha is the only man that could possibly one day run under 1 minute 40. His record stood at 1.41.01 going into tonight's final and he was hoping to beat that.

He went fast from the start and ran the first 200 metres in just 23 seconds and as he completed the opening lap in under 50 seconds it became clear that no one would beat him. From then on it was just Rudisha against the clock and he didn't run out of steam as he stormed through to win in 1.40.91 to beat his own record by one-tenth of a second. His amazing time brought the other athletes through in fast times as all the runners ran either personal or season's bests. Botswana's 17-year-old Nijel Amos broke the world junior record to take silver in 1.41.73 while 18-year-old Timothy Kitum of Kenya took bronze. 

Rudisha was delighted with his ground-breaking run: "Well I'm very happy, this is the moment that I've been waiting for for a very long time. I was well prepared and I had no doubt of winning and I'm in good shape and knew that I could run 1 minute 40. Today the weather was just beautiful so I just went for it."

Great Britain's Andrew Osagie finished over two and a half seconds behind in eighth place but still ran a personal best of 1.43.77 and he was in shock at the speed of Rudisha: "Usually that sort of time would take medals in major events. Many people thought that David would try and break the world record but I didn't think that he'd actually do it. I have run a season's best and personal best but I came last! So mixed emotions at the moment."

However there was much more to come in the form of the 200 metres and the Bolt and Blake show-down. The 100 metres champion Usain Bolt held the world record thanks to a 19.19 run in Berlin three years ago but compatriot Yohan Blake had come close to that with an effort of 19.26. After sealing a one-two in the shortest distance the Jamaicans were hoping for a clean sweep this time around. Bolt flew out of the blocks and Blake was immediately behind as his team-mate got away from him around the bend. 'The Beast' fought back and with about 20 metres to go it looked like he might overhaul the great sprinter but the now five-time Olympic champion streaked away to win in 19.32 seconds. Blake finished in 19.44 as youngster Warren Weir completed his country's clean sweep as he took bronze in 19.84. 

Bolt is now the first athlete to win five Olympic gold medals before turning 26 and is also the first man to successfully defend the Olympic 200 metres title. He now has four individual sprint golds which takes him past Carl Lewis as the greatest Olympic sprinter ever. 

Idowu Goes Out With A Disappointing Whimper

Four years ago world number one triple jumper Phillips Idowu narrowly missed out on Olympic gold as he took silver with a leap of 17.62 metres in Beijing. His jump was just five centi-metres shorter than the winning effort of 17.67 by Portugal's Nelson Evora in a thrilling final. Back then he was already looking forward to this year's games: "I really wanted to go to the London Olympics as a defending champion. I'm a winner, I don't want to be content with silver. I will go on - I've just got to keep improving."

He did just that as he won the world championships in Berlin the following year in fine style with a jump of 17.73. This confirmed his status as the world's best in the event and the enigmatic athlete continued to dominate over the following couple of years. He set a new personal best of 17.81 in Barcelona the next summer as he stormed the European Championships in stunning fashion. Yet again, he went into the Daegu World Championships as one of the favourites and took silver as he consolidated his place as one of the world's best.

After his world championship gold in 2009 he said: "I've had a lot of injuries through my career. The last world champs I had a serious back problem and I was surprised to even go there and take all six jumps. Before then I had to miss Helsinki and Paris through injury. It's nice to actually go to a world champs and do what I should have been doing years ago." However Idowu had been suffering from a trapped nerve in the build-up to the Games and then withdrew from the Crystal Palace meet in July after feeling a tightness in his hip in the warm-up. 

Despite all his injury problems he baffled many when he decided to split from his coach Aston Moore just weeks before the Olympics. He decided not to join the rest of Team GB on their training camp in Portugal even though Moore was there. He did not even stay in contact with head GB athletics coach Charles van Commenee who said that he did not even know where Idowu was and blasted his preparation: "Phillips decided not to join the team (in Portugal) and by definition in my eyes he compromises his preparation. I find it bizarre. Aston finds it bizarre." The British Olympic Association kept in contact with Idowu but the triple-jumper was angered when they asked him for his medical records.

Van Commenee went on to say that he found it bizarre that Idowu would turn his back on the association that had supported him for so many years: "UK Athletics has supported Phillips Idowu for about 12 years, financially for a big part of those 12 years in terms of providing training accommodation, camps, medical support, psychological support, bio-mechanical support and coaching support. We pay the salary of his coach, our coach, so I'm perplexed that the last two weeks before the Games he turns his back on us, and I've got no idea why."

It is still unclear as to the exact reason the 33-year-old chose to ignore UK Athletics but he went into the Games insisting that he would challenge for a medal. However he hadn't competed for over two months and hadn't been in full training for three weeks. Injury doubts were not at all quashed today as he failed to jump over 17 metres in his three jumps, fouling in his second jump and not even qualifying for the final. Afterwards he admitted to not being fully fit as he said: "I've managed to go to major champs and pick up medals. This year I wasn't at my best but still thought I could produce. Had nerve pain in my body. My physio and me decided it would be best for me to stay in UK." 

At the age of 33 he was the oldest athlete in the field and this may turn out to have been his last major championship and was almost certainly his final Olympics. Some of his decisions in the build-up have been questioned amidst serious injury concerns and now he will have to make do with an eighth place finish when it could have been a whole lot better. 

Insane Usain Thrashes Olympic Record On Balmy Night

Four years ago Usain Bolt became the first ever man to run the 100 metres in a time of under 9.7 seconds, despite appearing to ease up as he approached the line. Many people said that that his time of 9.69 could stand for many years but Bolt flew out of the blocks like lightning in Berlin the following year, smashing his own record by 0.11 seconds. That was a time that appeared completely unbeatable and no one had come particularly close going into tonight's Olympic final. However this was the first time the four fastest men in history had raced against each other and this was always going to be a great race. 

This year there were doubts surrounding the Jamaican legend after he was beaten in his country's Olympic trials by training partner Yohan Blake; a man who also won the 2011 World Championship after Bolt was disqualified for false-starting. Other contenders included former world record holders Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, while 2004 champion in Athens Justin Gatlin went into the race as the fastest qualifier after winning his semi-final in 9.82 seconds. 

Bolt was sluggish out of the blocks but quickly caught up with country-man Blake and Gatlin while Powell and Gay immediately struggled behind. Just when it looked like the three-time Olympic champion might lose his title he powered away from the field to win in a new Olympic record time of 9.63 seconds. The records continued to be broken as the other finalists crossed the line. Four men ran under 9.81 seconds and seven men ran sub-ten second times as the record books continued to be re-written in unprecedented fashion. Bolt's apprentice Blake took silver as Gatlin just dipped ahead of team-mate Gay to take bronze. 

With the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence tomorrow a one-two was a fitting way to celebrate. The champion will go into the 200 metres hoping to become the first man to win four gold medals in 100 and 200 metre sprinting while tonight's win made him only the second man after Carl Lewis to win two 100 metre Olympic titles. In the 200 metres he will probably face an even tougher challenge from tonight's silver medallist.

Bolt acknowledged that this was his best ever win when he said: "I was happy when I went out in the first round, I felt like, I could do this. I think I sat in  the blocks a little bit but the key was that I didn't worry about the start. My coach said to remember that the strongest part of my race is the end and that worked." He also recognized Blake's efforts: "I have to pay tribute to Blake because he always pushes me in training and he'll do even better next time."

All Eyes Focused On Sunday's Blockbuster 100m Final

After the drama of Super Saturday heads now turn to a hyped men's 100 metres final that could go a number of different directions. Iconic Jamaican Usain Bolt will defend his title and world record but for the first time in a long time going into a major championship final there is a feeling that he can be beaten. His old rivals American Tyson Gay and fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell will be there with him hoping to finally get one over him in a major final. Neither Gay or Powell have beaten Bolt in a major final since 2007 when the American won the sprint double at the world championships.

Since then Bolt has dominated sprinting like no man ever before, winning three golds in Bejing and another three in 2009 in Berlin. In those world championships he broke both of the world records that he had set the previous year. Both of these still stand with his 100 metres record at 9.58 seconds and his 200 metres time at 19.19. However in the last year there have been signs that the 25-year-old's power is waning and he lost his world 100 metres title when he was disqualified for false-starting in Daegu. In that final his training partner and team-mate Yohan Blake won in a time of 9.92 seconds. That time would not usually be able to beat the three-time Olympic champion but since then Blake has gradually improved and he beat Bolt at the Jamaican trials in a new personal best of 9.75 seconds. He also defeated Bolt in the 200 metres and has come very close to the world record that many felt would never be beaten by running times of 19.40 and 19.26 this year.

While Blake will feel quietly confident of out-running his team-mate there are other men that will be holding high hopes of taking gold. It is clear that Bolt will be a deserving favourite with Blake close behind but the other sprinter from the small Carribean island, Asafa Powell, has held the world record before and was third at the Jamaican trials. His personal best is an impressive 9.72 seconds and regularly runs under 9.9 seconds but has struggled to perform to his best on the big stage. Despite suffering from pre-race anxiety he does have an Olympic gold to his name in the 100 metre relay and has won four world championship medals. His form this year has been solid if not spectacular and he could put previous Olympic disappointments behind him. 

Despite the majority of focus being on the Jamaican contingent sprinting has been traditionally dominated by the USA. They have lost their stranglehold on the show-piece athletics event somewhat over the last five years but both Gay and 2004 Olympic 100 metre champion Justin Gatlin have had good seasons and could push for a win tonight. The 2007 world champion Gay holds the American record and became the only man other than Bolt to have run under 9.7 seconds when he won in Shanghai in 2009 in 9.69 seconds. He has not been on his best form this year despite looking ominous at times but should not be ruled out as he could win with a good start and something to hold on to.

Olympic champion in Athens, Justin Gatlin, has come roaring back into athletics after serving a four-year ban for testing positive for a banned substance. After returning two years ago he has run under ten seconds regularly, winning the US Olympic trials in 9.80 seconds, the record for a man over 30. He has already beaten country-man Gay as well as Powell this year and has run sub-ten seconds three times this season. He will go into tonight's final as one of the favourites as he looks to win a fourth Olympic medal.

GB Take Unprecedented Three Athletics Golds On Glorious Olympic Night

Super Saturday was back and improved at the Olympic Games as Team GB claimed six magnificent gold medals on day eight in London. The wins came from three different sports, one in cycling, two in rowing and an unbelievable three in the Olympic Stadium. The men's four and Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland in the lightweight double sculls won on the water at Eton Dorney before the women's team pursuit added gold number four for Team GB in the velodrome. However what was to come late into the night at the Olympic Stadium was surely not predicted.

The Games's poster girl Jessica Ennis stormed the women's heptathlon to win by over 300 points ahead of her rival, Russia's Tatyana Chernova. The Sheffield girl started off in the morning with an impressive six metres 48 centi-metres in the long jump before breaking her javelin personal best with 47.49 in what was supposed to be her weakest event. That gave her a comfortable lead of 188 points going into the 800 metres and she finished the job in style by winning the last event in 2.06.85 to win with a tally of 6,955 points; a British and Commonwealth record. An emotional Ennis lifted her arms in celebration when she crossed the line, appearing unsure whether to laugh or cry. Lilli Schwarzkopf of Germany was left 306 points behind in silver while Chernova took bronze.

Twenty minutes later and another British athletics gold was sealed and this time it was on the field thanks to a domineering performance by Greg Rutherford. The 25-year-old jumped the longest two efforts of any athlete in the final, winning by 15 centi-metres with a fourth round jump of 8 metres 31. This was just four centi-metres short of his British record of 8.35 which he shares with Chris Tomlinson who finished sixth. After his final leap he pointed to the sky and appeared in shock after sealing his first ever major championship medal. His gold-medal-winning moment sealed a fifth victory of the day for the home nation, the most for a British team in an Olympic Games since 1908 in London. Rutherford's win also ensured that Team GB had beaten their gold medal tally for athletics from Beijing when Ohuruogu was the only British champion and was the first win for Britain in the men's long jump since Lynn Davies back in 1964. He said that 'he would never be bored of hearing' that he is Olympic champion and said: "I thought that I would jump further than that but who cares, I'm Olympic champion. I don't it has sunk in properly to be honest."

The best was still to come on one of the greatest ever Olympic nights as Somalian born Brit Mo Farah made his move on the penultimate lap and stormed away from the field on the final lap to win the men's 10,000 metres; the first Brit to win an Olympic long-distance title. He held off the challenge from his fast-finishing American training partner Galen Rupp to win and deny Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele a third consecutive Olympic gold. Bekele's brother Tariku ended with bronze as Farah rounded off a record-breaking day for British sport in wonderful style. There could be more golds to come in the Olympic Stadium for Team GB with Dai Greene and Christine Ohuruogu both qualifying for their finals in the 400 metre hurdles and 400 metres respectively. Farah will also run in the 5,000 metres as reigning world champion and aims to win the long-distance track double.

Earlier on in the day the men's four had successfully defended their Olympic title at Eton Dorney, just beating Australia to the line in a thrilling finish. It was the fourth time in a row that GB have won the Olympic title in this event and was GB's third rowing gold of these Games, the first time they have managed that since 1908. Copeland and Hosking, who only teamed up this season, then made it four golds for the British rowers as they led from the front to beat China by two seconds. Gold was next struck in the velodrome as the British women's pursuit team thrashed the USA to win the home team's cyclists' fifth gold of the games.