London 2012: Super Saturday Brits Including Jessica Ennis Go For Gold

Super Saturday Brits Go For Gold
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Jessica Ennis is hoping to build on her sensational start in the heptathlon as the Games' Super Saturday gets under way in the Olympic Stadium.

The 26-year-old recorded the fastest time ever run in the heptathlon for the 100m hurdles, smashing her personal best with an exhilarating run of 12.54 seconds in front of 80,000 screaming fans.

Ennis's success came on a glorious day for Team GB as Victoria Pendleton became queen of the velodrome, its cyclists smashed a world record and rower Katherine Grainger finally realised her Olympic dream.

Ennis remained on course for Olympic heptathlon glory after notching up a 184-point lead after four events with her best ever first-day score as the action got under way at the Olympic Stadium.

It was a golden day for Britain as Pendleton made up for the bitter disappointment of being relegated from the team sprint and produced a storming finish to take the gold medal in the women's keirin. "This is the greatest moment in my career so far," said Pendleton, who will retire after attempting to defend her sprint title at the Olympic Velodrome. "A lot of people thought I'd passed my best and I just wanted to prove them wrong, so this does feel pretty good."

The surge of excitement growing around Britain's success should reach a crescendo on what has been tagged Super Saturday. As well as Ennis, there are chances for gold for Mo Farah, the men's coxless four, triathlete Helen Jenkins, and the cycling's women's team pursuit.

Farah goes for gold in the final of the 10,000 metres after being pipped to the world title last year, with the race due to start just 25 minutes after Ennis could seal gold. Current world champion Jenkins will also be in action at Hyde Park where she could be Olympic champion by lunchtime. And at around the same time the Olympic Stadium will have the first sight of Usain Bolt, who is expected to ease through the qualifying rounds of the 100m ahead of tomorrow's semi-final and final.

Great Britain has won gold in the men's coxless four at each of the last three Olympics and is desperate to extend that dynasty over at Eton Dorney. Andrew Triggs Hodge, Pete Reed, Tom James and Alex Gregory will be going for glory, cheered on by Lieutenant Reed's fellow sailors and Royal Marines who are embarked on HMS Bulwark providing Games security in Weymouth.

On Friday, another quartet, the men's cycling team pursuit squad shattered the world record as they took gold, leaving rivals Australia trailing in their wake. The atmosphere in the Velodrome was electric as Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh and Steven Burke stormed to victory. And after three consecutive silver medals Katherine Grainger had feared she would always be the bridesmaid at the Games, but put those days behind her as she took gold with her double sculls partner, Anna Watkins.

The golds pushed Team GB to fourth in the medals table with 22 - eight gold, six silver and eight bronze. At the same point in the hugely-successful Beijing Games Britain had won just eight medals.

Olympics Day 8
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Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking of Great Britain celebrate with their gold medals during the medal ceremony for the Lightweight Women's Double Sculls Final on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on August 4, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Photo credit: Harry How/Getty Images)
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Alex Gregory, Pete Reed, Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge of Great Britain celebrate after winning gold in the Men's Four Final on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on August 4, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Photo credit: Phil Walter/Getty Images)
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Pete Reed, Andrew Triggs Hodge, Alex Gregory and Tom James of Great Britain celebrate with their gold medals during the medal ceremony for the Men's Four Final on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on August 4, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Photo credit: Harry How/Getty Images)
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Great Britain's Andrew Triggs Hodge (C) celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men's four final A of the rowing event during the London 2012 Olympic Games, at Eton Dorney Rowing Centre in Eton, west of London, on August 4, 2012. (Photo credit: DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/GettyImages)
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Great Britain's Katherine Copeland, left, and Sophie Hosking celebrate after winning the gold medal for the lightweight women's rowing double sculls in Eton Dorney, near Windsor, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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Great Britain's Katherine Copeland, left, and Sophie Hosking celebrate after winning the gold medal for the lightweight women's rowing double sculls in Eton Dorney, near Windsor, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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South Africa's Oscar Pistorius in the Men's 400m Heats during day eight of the London Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium,, London. (credit:Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
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South Africa's Oscar Pistorius in the Men's 400m Heats during day eight of the London Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium, London. (credit:Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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Xue Chen, right, and XI Zhang, left, from China celebrate after defeating Russia in their Beach Volleyball match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in London. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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Ekaterina Khomyakova from Russia reaches for a ball during the Beach Volleyball match against China at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in London. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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A British fan watches activity at the rowing venue in Eton Dorney, near Windsor, England, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva practices ahead of the women's pole vault qualification during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (Photo credit: AP Photo/David J. Phillip )
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South Africa's Oscar Pistorius prepares to compete in a men's 400-meter heat during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (Photo credit: AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Kay Matysik of Germany digs out a ball during a beach volleyball match against Brazil at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in London. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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New Zealand's Nicky Samuels dives into the water for the start of the triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in London. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Athletes compete in the swimming stage of the Women's Triathlon on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games in Hyde Park on August 4, 2012 in London, England. (Photo credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
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Boon Heong Tan and Kien Keat Koo of Malaysia compete against Yun Cai and Haifeng Fu of China in their Men's Doubles Badminton Semi Final match on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Wembley Arena on August 4, 2012 in London, England. (Photo credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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China's Cai Yun (bottom) and Fu Haifeng (top) play a shot during the semi-final men's doubles badminton match against Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia at the London 2012 Olympic Games in London on August 4, 2012. (Photo credit: ADEK BERRY/AFP/GettyImages)
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Britain's rightback Steven Larsson (L) vies with Tunisia's pivot Issam Tej during the men's preliminary Group A handball match Tunisia vs Great Britain for the London 2012 Olympics Games on August 4, 2012 at the Copper Box hall in London. (Photo credit: JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/GettyImages)
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Britain's pivot Robin Garnham (R) jumps to shoot during the men's preliminary Group A handball match Tunisia vs Great Britain for the London 2012 Olympics Games on August 4, 2012 at the Copper Box hall in London. (Photo credit: JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/GettyImages)
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China's Cai Yun (top) and Fu Haifeng (bottom) celebrate their victory during the semi-final men's doubles badminton match against Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia at the London 2012 Olympic Games in London on August 4, 2012. (Photo credit: ADEK BERRY/AFP/GettyImages)
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Athletes compete in the swimming stage of the Women's Triathlon on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games in Hyde Park on August 4, 2012 in London, England. (Photo credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
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Racha Soula of Tunisia competes in the Women's Single Sculls finals on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on August 4, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Photo credit: Phil Walter/Getty Images)
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Shwe Zin Latt of Myanmar competes in the Women's Single Sculls finals on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on August 4, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Photo credit: Phil Walter/Getty Images)
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Britain's suppporters cheer before the athletics event held at the Olympic Stadium during the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4, 2012 in London. (Photo credit: FRANCK FIFE/AFP/GettyImages)
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Great Britain's Jason Kenny in the sprint qualifying at the Velodrome in the Olympic Park, London. (credit:Tim Ireland/PA Wire)