Congratulations to Team GB rowers - AND, BREAKING NEWS women's team pursuit!

Great Britain won an eighth gold medal in the Rio Olympics as the rowers began day eight in sparkling form in Rio.
 
The men's eight led from the start to repeat their London 2012 triumph in the second final of the day.

Just minutes earlier Britain's women's eight won the silver medal which kept Britain firmly in third place in the medal table with a total of 24 at that stage. (It's gone up to 25 including nine golds while I have been writing this post - see below.

Meanwhile, champion Jessica Ennis-Hill and GB team-mate Katarina Johnson-Thompson are in strong positions in the heptathlon.

Defending Olympic tennis champion Andy Murray has booked his place in the Olympic tennis final by defeating Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals of the men's singles.won 6-1 6-4 and will play Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in the gold-medal match on Sunday.

(While I was writing this post del Potro beat Rafael Nadal in the other semi final)

Murray, assured of at least a silver medal, hopes to become the first player to win two Olympic singles titles. He won his second Wimbledon - and third Grand Slam - title last month.

"It's obviously not an easy thing to do, that's why it's never been done before," he said about the prospect of another gold medal.

BREAKING NEWS - TEAM GB Women's team pursuit cycling win gold!

Also while I was writing this post Great Britain added another gold to their ever-improving medal tally by triumphing in the women’s cycling team pursuit.
           
Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald had looked like the cycling team to beat to beat when they set a world record qualifying for the final against the USA – and so they were. They came from behind to beat the world champions and break their own world record.

The British quartet won in 4min 10.236 seconds – nearly two seconds quicker than the world record they themselves had set in the heats!

The British women equalled the achievement of their male counterparts, who triumphed in the men’s pursuit 24 hours earlier.

It was Trott’s third Olympic gold – the most by a British female – and Rowsell-Shand’s second. They had previously won gold in the event at London 2012.

Congratulations to all the Team GB competitors on these superb performances.

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