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Bradley Wiggins
Medal man: Bradley Wiggins

Another gold star for London's Bradley Wiggins

Shekhar Bhatia and Kiran Randhawa in Beijing
18 Aug 2008


Londoner Bradley Wiggins won his second gold medal in Beijing today and said he was determined to get a third.

The 28-year-old led the four-strong pursuit team to victory, smashing the world record they had set the day before and beating their Danish opponents by 6.7 seconds in the Laoshan Velodrome.

Wiggins rides again as favourite in another race tomorrow - which would make him the first British athlete since 1908 to take three golds at the same Games. He said: "My personal focus is on getting three gold medals. I suppose I'm getting greedy but there's nothing wrong with being greedy in sport. Another medal will not do - it's got to be gold."

The cycling team's success means Britain's tally for the Olympics stands at 26 with 12 golds, six silvers and eight bronze. Team GB officials are optimistic that by the time Mayor Boris Johnson accepts the Olympic flag for London on Sunday, its athletes will have produced Britain's best medal haul.

Wiggins has now equalled Sir Steve Redgrave's record British Olympic medal haul.

The 28-year-old from Maida Vale battled against growing weariness and a sense of genuine worry to inspire Britain's pursuit team, featuring Ed Clancy, Paul Manning and Geraint Thomas, to another record-shattering triumph in the Laoshan Velodrome.

Yet this latest example of miraculous teamwork as the foursome worked in millimetre-perfect precision over 4,000 metres to destroy - and almost catch - their Danish opposition masked an incredible individual tour de force from Wiggins, who, following his individual pursuit triumph here on Saturday, was winning the third gold of his increasingly storied career.

It was his sixth medal in all over three Olympics - three golds, one silver and two bronze - and though it can't compare with Redgrave's half-dozen, which included five consecutive golds, Wiggins now has a chance to hold the record on his own when he attempts to win medal number seven with Mark Cavendish in tomorrow's Madison, the event at which the pair won the world title in Manchester.

Paul Goodison, 30, is guaranteed at least a silver in the sailing today and could win a gold tomorrow.

More Olympics news

After a Jam session, Wiggo wants to win his third gold

The pursuit of happiness for golden boy Wiggins

Cyclists lead the way on a weekend of pure gold

Family celebrates as Romero rides into the unknown

Team chief Tanner hails an oarsome performance

Adlington promises to shine in London with more medals

Becks and a double-decker lead the handover ceremony

Culture Secretary defends the grassroots legacy of 2012

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