Sunday, August 05, 2012
Britain basks in golden glory
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LONDON (Reuters) - The teary but euphoric face of Jessica Ennis beamed out from news-stands across Britain on Sunday as Games fever swept a proud host nation basking in its greatest Olympic day in more than a century.

"Hep, hep hooray," declared the nation's best-selling tabloid Sun newspaper after Ennis won the heptathlon on a gold-rush Saturday that saw the host nation snap up six Olympic titles.

Photographs of Ennis, down-to-earth and smiley, were plastered all over the front pages in her moment of triumph - wrapped in the Union Jack flag and hailed as Queen of the Games, Superwoman, Golden Girl and Sensational.

"Jess the best day ever," declared the Daily Mail after the country's biggest single-day gold medal haul since 1908. "Britain's dripping in gold."

"Happy and Glorious," boomed the Independent after a day when the national anthem was heard repeatedly on the podium and sung by crowds cheering every new medal.

Two golds in rowing and one at the cycling velodrome were followed by a hat-trick of victories in athletics from Ennis, Greg Rutherford (long jump) and Mo Farah.

Britain took their collection of golds to 14 at the London Games to lie third in the overall medals table behind the United States (26) and China (25).

"Their extraordinary efforts have brought rapture to streets, parks and living rooms in London and all over the country if not the planet," London mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement.

"It has been a remarkable first week and my hearty congratulations go to every single athlete that has taken part," added Johnson, sounding almost restrained for a man whose enthusiasm usually knows no bounds.

"They have entertained billions of people around the world and I for one cannot wait to see what they serve up for week two." Continued...

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