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Mark Cavendish secures first Olympic medal

Mark Cavendish secured his first Olympic medal at the third time of asking after he picked up sil...



Mark Cavendish secures first O...
Off The Ball Radio

Mark Cavendish secures first Olympic medal

Mark Cavendish secured his first Olympic medal at the third time of asking after he picked up silver in the men's Omnium.

Cavendish, who came away empty handed from Beijing and London, finished behind Italy's Elia Viviani in Rio de Janeiro, while defending champion Lasse Norman Hansen of Denmark took bronze.

Cavendish collected his silver with 194 points, as Viviani won with 207 points and Hansen settled for third with 192.

"Ultimately I couldn't have done any more. I have to be happy," he said. "Elia was better across the six disciplines. He deserved to win that Olympic gold.

"It's always disappointing not to win, but I did all I could, so yes, I'm happy."

British horse rider Charlotte Dujardin has won an Olympic gold medal for Team GB in the individual dressage - and received a reminder about their engagement at the same time. 

The Briton scored 93.857% in the event - four points more than her nearest rival.

As she finished her routine, her South African fiance Dean Golding was seen on camera with a piece of paper pinned to his top saying: "Can we get married now?"

Her win makes her the first British woman to retain an individual Olympic title after she struck gold in London in 2012.

She was in tears on the podium as she received the medal before the British national anthem was played in Rio for the 16th time.

She said afterwards: "It's absolutely amazing. It's a really emotional time. I wish my mum and dad were here but I really want to thank everyone who has supported me.

Talking about the proposal, Dujardin said later: "He asked me, actually, just before London and I said 'yes'.

"I don't think he believed it was going to happen so I think he has made it so public that now I am certainly going to do it."

It was the 31-year-old's second medal of the Rio games after she helped Team GB to win a silver in the team dressage competition.

It takes her all-time Olympic gold medal tally to three, after two wins in London in 2012, putting her on par with cyclist Laura Trott - who is also attempting to defend her Olympic title in the Omnium.

Trott has to potential to pull ahead and remain Britain's most-decorated female Olympian ever if she wins in the velodrome later.

Dujardin was riding on a horse called Valegro - the same horse that she won on in 2012 - and her routine was inspired by the Brazilian beat samba.

Her score was the third highest in dressage history - behind two other scores by the same horse and rider.

Her win puts Team GB safely above China in the medals table. The team were already second because of their 16 silvers to China's 14.

Britain's bronze medal count was also boosted after a third place in the hammer event by Sophie Hitchon in the Olympic stadium.

The 25-year-old had turned from ballet to the track and field event and sent the 4kg metal ball 74.54 metres to become the first British woman to win an Olympic medal in the discipline.

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