In today's 10km open water event at the Beijing Olympics, Britain's Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten - who won silver and bronze in the event - accused Germany's Angela Maurer of cheating in order to get ahead of them. Patten claimed that the German pulled on her leg in the latter stages of the race and was spotted having a row with the German after the race, which was won by Russia's Larisa Ilchenko.
Meanwhile, Great Britain are still in third place in the medals table with 16 golds, which means, for the first time, they have surpassed the 15 golds which they won at the Antwerp Olympics in 1920, though they are still some way behind the whopping 56 golds that Great Britain won at the 1908 Olympics when they also finished top of the medals table. In that Olympics, Great Britain also won 51 silver medals and 39 bronze, a total of 146 medals (the USA finished second in the medals table, with a mere 47 medals), something which even China and the USA may not surpass in this Olympics.
Great Britain are also above great rivals (usually in cricket and rugby but now in the Olympics, too) Australia in the medals table. Great Britain have won 16 golds so far compared to Australia's 11, and have won 36 medals in total so far compared to Australia's 35.
Australia's sports minister has thrown down the gauntlet to Britain over where the two countries finish in the Beijing Olympics medal table.
Kate Ellis has challenged her British counterpart Gerry Sutcliffe to a bet over which country wins most medals.
At the moment, the British are winning the bet.
Pictured: The moment British Olympic swimmers confronted German rival over her 'dirty tricks'
By David Williams, Rebecca Camber and Nicola Boden
20th August 2008
Daily Mail
.........................G.....S.....B.....Total
1) China..............45....14...20......79
2) USA................26....27....28.....81
3) Great Britain.....16....10....11.....37
4) Russia.............13....14....18.....45
5) Australia..........11....12....13.....36
6) Germany..........11....8......9......28
7) South Korea.......8....10.....6.......24
8 ) Japan.............8.....6......9......23
9) Italy................6.....7......7.......20
10) Ukraine..........5.....5......8.......18
Britain's swimmers added two more medals to the 'Great Haul of China' today in the gruelling 10km open water event - but promptly claimed they were robbed of gold.
Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten, who took silver and bronze, accused Germany's Angela Maurer who finished fourth of dirty tricks in an attempt to get ahead.
Patten claimed Maurer had deliberately pulled her leg back to gain an unfair advantage in the latter stages and the pair can be seen having a row after the race.
The Britons had led throughout the long-distance swim only to be passed by Russia's Larisa Ilchenko in the dying phase, who won with one and a half seconds to spare.
Row: Britain's Cassie Patten (right) accused German Angela Maurer (left) of pulling her leg at the end of the race, ruining Britain's chance of a 17th gold
Sailor Shaw then took bronze in a dramatic finale to the women's windsurfing competition where she came in 12 seconds behind the leader.
The elated athlete was so emotional after winning a medal that she broke down in tears and then swore on live television.
On the track at the Bird's Nest stadium, Natasha Danvers added another bronze to the haul with a gutsy third in the 400metre hurdles.
The four medals takes Team GB's total up to 37 - seven ahead of the entire tally for the Athens Games four years ago.
But Payne and Patten felt shortchanged after their efforts in the 10km race, which was the first time it had featured in an Olympic Games.
Angry: Britain's Patten jabs her finger at Germany's Maurer as she makes her point about the race
Soon after they plunged into Shinyi Lake in Beijing, where Britain has won numerous medals in the rowing regatta, Patten and Payne set the pace for the four-lap race.
The two Britons, who train together for four hours every day at Stockport Metro in Cheshire, had no lanes to separate them from other swimmers.
Behind the leaders, arms were clashing and racers were squeezed and pushed. The British pair's feet were constantly tapped by Ilchenko and the rest of the pack.
The tug on Patten's leg - which onlookers said could have earned the Russian a cautionary yellow card - was missed by judges on a boat alongside the swimmers.
Power: Payne (right) and Patten (left) during the arduous 10k swim and below, hugging as they emerge from the water
The British girls celebrate after winning silver and bronze
After nearly two hours, world champion Ilchenko sprinted past the Britons in the final 100 metres to take the gold.
Afterwards Patten, who took bronze, pointed angrily at Maurer and claimed she had deliberately pulled her leg.
'I had my legs pulled. I'm just annoyed because I didn't get to savor looking up and coming in third because of that negative. It's unsportsmanship,' the 21-year-old said.
'I would never pull on someone's legs so I would never assume someone would do it to me.
'But at the end of the day, I've got one of these (medals) and she hasn't, so that's enough.
I don't want to say anymore because I don't want to start an inter-country war.'
Maurer admitted nothing, but added: 'It was really crowded going around the corners.
There was a lot of grabbing and pulling, but I have to say I was no angel either.'
On the podium: Payne (left) and Patten (right) with gold medallist Larisa Ilchenko from Russia
Payne, 20, also from Stockport, who raced in the two individual medleys in the Water Cube last week, finished one and a half seconds behind Ilchenko, who completed the race in 1.59.27.7.
She said: 'To get a medal is amazing. We didn't have a tactic, we just went out and swam.
The course was really flat and one of the best I've ever swum. But I got weeds stuck in my costume and in my face.
'We didn't talk at all out there. We're best friends, we train together and we just kind of knew when to kick at the right time. Every part of my body was aching but I tried pushing for gold.'
There was also disappointment on the water, however, with Athens bronze medallist Nick Dempsey failing to make his mark in the men's windsurfing.
A strong hope for gold, Dempsey had started with a chance of winning but finished seventh in a disastrous final race to sink from second to fourth overall.
His defeat, and failure to win a medal of any kind, brought a bittersweet element to the regatta which has been dominated by British success.
But the country is still riding high at third in the medal table, with 37 in total now won during the Games so far - 16 gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze.
It is the best haul of medals for a century, beating the previous record of 15 golds in Antwerp in 1920.
Elated: Bryony Shaw wins bronze in the windsurfing and below, on the podium
It was a sensational run from sprinter Christine Ohuruogu yesterday - an unlikely and controversial gold - that pushed Britain past the magical tally of 15.
Only a year after serving a ban for missing three drugs tests, the 24-year-old Londoner won a stunning victory in the 400m final.
She was back in fourth with just 70m left but powered through in the final phase to beat rival Sanya Richards from the U.S. who fell back into third.
In doing so, the athlete became the first British woman ever to win Olympic gold at the distance and one of a handful ever to take gold in a track event at the Games.
Her win climaxed another remarkable day for the record-breaking British team after golds for cyclists Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton, and sailor Paul Goodison.
Flying Scotsman Hoy became the first Briton for 100 years to win three gold medals at the same Olympics, crowning a superb performance by the cycling team who won eight golds with the prospect of another tomorrow.
Enlarge
Perfectly timed: Christine Ohuruogu (second from right) powers to 400m victory
For the third time in four days at Beijing, Britain won four golds, taking the team's total to a staggering 16 - the most in a modern Olympics and keeping them in third place in the medals table, notably above rivals Australia.
Despite the joy at her success, Miss Ohuruougu last night was forced to defend herself against questions her medal was tainted because of her ban.
She replied defiantly: 'I don't really care about what people think or care. As far as I am concerned, I won a gold medal and that's all that matters.'
Pressed on whether the shadow of the ban had spoiled her night, she replied: 'Why should it be spoilt? I am very happy with what I have done. I have got what I wanted.'
There was no such controversy surrounding the cycling team and Hoy in particular.
Nicknamed Hoycules and His Royal Hoyness by the British team and supporters, the 32-year-old knew he would make history if he won the yesterday's individual Sprint after victories in the Keirin and Team Sprint.
Show of strength: Chris Hoy (top) clinches a third gold in the men's sprint
Such is the dominance of the British cyclists that his opponent in the final was team-mate Jason Kenny, 20, who took the silver to go with a gold he had won earlier alongside Hoy.
Hoy, who is viewed as a certainty for a knighthood, went over and embraced his parents David and Carol and girlfriend Sarra Kemp, 28.
Asked whether his son was now the greatest British Olympian, David Hoy replied: 'No, Steve Redgrave is better than him,' then added: 'But he has another Olympics in him.'
Victoria Pendleton, 27, admitted it was a 'dream' finally to win an Olympic medal after missing out in Athens four years ago where she had been dismissed as a 'choker' and considered giving up the sport.
'I feel like part of the team because you have to have a medal these days!' she said.
For 30-year-old Goodison, from Sheffield, the gold medal in the Laser class at the sailing centre in Qingdao made up for the disappointment of just missing out on an Olympic medal four years ago in the Laser class when he finished fourth in Athens.
The 30-year-old ensured there was no similar heartbreak in China by sailing a brilliant tactical race.
His gold increased Great Britain's medal haul in the sailing regatta to four, including three golds.
There was unexpected success in the high jump, where Germaine Mason took a surprise silver.
But it was disappointment for cyclist Bradley Wiggins who failed to win his third Beijing gold and finished outside the medals with partner Mark Cavendish in the Madison event.
SO WHAT HAPPENED IN 1908?
The last Briton to win three golds at an Olympics was Henry Taylor, 100 years ago.
The 23-year- old won the 400m freestyle, 1500m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1908 London Games.
He also won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Games as well as three medals at the unofficial Olympics of 1906 in Athens.
Taylor learned to swim in the canals near his home in Chadderton, near Oldham, trained at the town baths on 'dirty water day' when admission was cheaper and practised in the Alexandra boating lake in the evenings after finishing work at the cotton mill.
His times in the 1908 Games probably weren't helped by an international fly-fishing competition which was held at the outdoor White City pool. In fact, no one even considered changing the water during the Olympics, which lasted from April until October.
He joined the Navy in 1915 and used to maintain his fitness by swimming around the fleet when anchored at Scapa Flow. He died a penniless bachelor in 1951.
dailymail.co.uk
Meanwhile, Great Britain are still in third place in the medals table with 16 golds, which means, for the first time, they have surpassed the 15 golds which they won at the Antwerp Olympics in 1920, though they are still some way behind the whopping 56 golds that Great Britain won at the 1908 Olympics when they also finished top of the medals table. In that Olympics, Great Britain also won 51 silver medals and 39 bronze, a total of 146 medals (the USA finished second in the medals table, with a mere 47 medals), something which even China and the USA may not surpass in this Olympics.
Great Britain are also above great rivals (usually in cricket and rugby but now in the Olympics, too) Australia in the medals table. Great Britain have won 16 golds so far compared to Australia's 11, and have won 36 medals in total so far compared to Australia's 35.
Australia's sports minister has thrown down the gauntlet to Britain over where the two countries finish in the Beijing Olympics medal table.
Kate Ellis has challenged her British counterpart Gerry Sutcliffe to a bet over which country wins most medals.
At the moment, the British are winning the bet.
Pictured: The moment British Olympic swimmers confronted German rival over her 'dirty tricks'
By David Williams, Rebecca Camber and Nicola Boden
20th August 2008
Daily Mail
- Fresh triumphs today take medal tally to 36
- Silver and bronze in women's 10k open water event
- British pair accuse German who came 4th of dirty tricks
- Fifth sailing medal with bronze in women's windsurfing
- Danvers wins bronze in women's 400m hurdles
.........................G.....S.....B.....Total
1) China..............45....14...20......79
2) USA................26....27....28.....81
3) Great Britain.....16....10....11.....37
4) Russia.............13....14....18.....45
5) Australia..........11....12....13.....36
6) Germany..........11....8......9......28
7) South Korea.......8....10.....6.......24
8 ) Japan.............8.....6......9......23
9) Italy................6.....7......7.......20
10) Ukraine..........5.....5......8.......18
Britain's swimmers added two more medals to the 'Great Haul of China' today in the gruelling 10km open water event - but promptly claimed they were robbed of gold.
Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten, who took silver and bronze, accused Germany's Angela Maurer who finished fourth of dirty tricks in an attempt to get ahead.
Patten claimed Maurer had deliberately pulled her leg back to gain an unfair advantage in the latter stages and the pair can be seen having a row after the race.
The Britons had led throughout the long-distance swim only to be passed by Russia's Larisa Ilchenko in the dying phase, who won with one and a half seconds to spare.
Row: Britain's Cassie Patten (right) accused German Angela Maurer (left) of pulling her leg at the end of the race, ruining Britain's chance of a 17th gold
Sailor Shaw then took bronze in a dramatic finale to the women's windsurfing competition where she came in 12 seconds behind the leader.
The elated athlete was so emotional after winning a medal that she broke down in tears and then swore on live television.
On the track at the Bird's Nest stadium, Natasha Danvers added another bronze to the haul with a gutsy third in the 400metre hurdles.
The four medals takes Team GB's total up to 37 - seven ahead of the entire tally for the Athens Games four years ago.
But Payne and Patten felt shortchanged after their efforts in the 10km race, which was the first time it had featured in an Olympic Games.
Angry: Britain's Patten jabs her finger at Germany's Maurer as she makes her point about the race
Soon after they plunged into Shinyi Lake in Beijing, where Britain has won numerous medals in the rowing regatta, Patten and Payne set the pace for the four-lap race.
The two Britons, who train together for four hours every day at Stockport Metro in Cheshire, had no lanes to separate them from other swimmers.
Behind the leaders, arms were clashing and racers were squeezed and pushed. The British pair's feet were constantly tapped by Ilchenko and the rest of the pack.
The tug on Patten's leg - which onlookers said could have earned the Russian a cautionary yellow card - was missed by judges on a boat alongside the swimmers.
Power: Payne (right) and Patten (left) during the arduous 10k swim and below, hugging as they emerge from the water
The British girls celebrate after winning silver and bronze
After nearly two hours, world champion Ilchenko sprinted past the Britons in the final 100 metres to take the gold.
Afterwards Patten, who took bronze, pointed angrily at Maurer and claimed she had deliberately pulled her leg.
'I had my legs pulled. I'm just annoyed because I didn't get to savor looking up and coming in third because of that negative. It's unsportsmanship,' the 21-year-old said.
'I would never pull on someone's legs so I would never assume someone would do it to me.
'But at the end of the day, I've got one of these (medals) and she hasn't, so that's enough.
I don't want to say anymore because I don't want to start an inter-country war.'
Maurer admitted nothing, but added: 'It was really crowded going around the corners.
There was a lot of grabbing and pulling, but I have to say I was no angel either.'
On the podium: Payne (left) and Patten (right) with gold medallist Larisa Ilchenko from Russia
Payne, 20, also from Stockport, who raced in the two individual medleys in the Water Cube last week, finished one and a half seconds behind Ilchenko, who completed the race in 1.59.27.7.
She said: 'To get a medal is amazing. We didn't have a tactic, we just went out and swam.
The course was really flat and one of the best I've ever swum. But I got weeds stuck in my costume and in my face.
'We didn't talk at all out there. We're best friends, we train together and we just kind of knew when to kick at the right time. Every part of my body was aching but I tried pushing for gold.'
There was also disappointment on the water, however, with Athens bronze medallist Nick Dempsey failing to make his mark in the men's windsurfing.
A strong hope for gold, Dempsey had started with a chance of winning but finished seventh in a disastrous final race to sink from second to fourth overall.
His defeat, and failure to win a medal of any kind, brought a bittersweet element to the regatta which has been dominated by British success.
But the country is still riding high at third in the medal table, with 37 in total now won during the Games so far - 16 gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze.
It is the best haul of medals for a century, beating the previous record of 15 golds in Antwerp in 1920.
Elated: Bryony Shaw wins bronze in the windsurfing and below, on the podium
It was a sensational run from sprinter Christine Ohuruogu yesterday - an unlikely and controversial gold - that pushed Britain past the magical tally of 15.
Only a year after serving a ban for missing three drugs tests, the 24-year-old Londoner won a stunning victory in the 400m final.
She was back in fourth with just 70m left but powered through in the final phase to beat rival Sanya Richards from the U.S. who fell back into third.
In doing so, the athlete became the first British woman ever to win Olympic gold at the distance and one of a handful ever to take gold in a track event at the Games.
Her win climaxed another remarkable day for the record-breaking British team after golds for cyclists Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton, and sailor Paul Goodison.
Flying Scotsman Hoy became the first Briton for 100 years to win three gold medals at the same Olympics, crowning a superb performance by the cycling team who won eight golds with the prospect of another tomorrow.
Enlarge
Perfectly timed: Christine Ohuruogu (second from right) powers to 400m victory
For the third time in four days at Beijing, Britain won four golds, taking the team's total to a staggering 16 - the most in a modern Olympics and keeping them in third place in the medals table, notably above rivals Australia.
Despite the joy at her success, Miss Ohuruougu last night was forced to defend herself against questions her medal was tainted because of her ban.
She replied defiantly: 'I don't really care about what people think or care. As far as I am concerned, I won a gold medal and that's all that matters.'
Pressed on whether the shadow of the ban had spoiled her night, she replied: 'Why should it be spoilt? I am very happy with what I have done. I have got what I wanted.'
There was no such controversy surrounding the cycling team and Hoy in particular.
Nicknamed Hoycules and His Royal Hoyness by the British team and supporters, the 32-year-old knew he would make history if he won the yesterday's individual Sprint after victories in the Keirin and Team Sprint.
Show of strength: Chris Hoy (top) clinches a third gold in the men's sprint
Such is the dominance of the British cyclists that his opponent in the final was team-mate Jason Kenny, 20, who took the silver to go with a gold he had won earlier alongside Hoy.
Hoy, who is viewed as a certainty for a knighthood, went over and embraced his parents David and Carol and girlfriend Sarra Kemp, 28.
Asked whether his son was now the greatest British Olympian, David Hoy replied: 'No, Steve Redgrave is better than him,' then added: 'But he has another Olympics in him.'
Victoria Pendleton, 27, admitted it was a 'dream' finally to win an Olympic medal after missing out in Athens four years ago where she had been dismissed as a 'choker' and considered giving up the sport.
'I feel like part of the team because you have to have a medal these days!' she said.
For 30-year-old Goodison, from Sheffield, the gold medal in the Laser class at the sailing centre in Qingdao made up for the disappointment of just missing out on an Olympic medal four years ago in the Laser class when he finished fourth in Athens.
The 30-year-old ensured there was no similar heartbreak in China by sailing a brilliant tactical race.
His gold increased Great Britain's medal haul in the sailing regatta to four, including three golds.
There was unexpected success in the high jump, where Germaine Mason took a surprise silver.
But it was disappointment for cyclist Bradley Wiggins who failed to win his third Beijing gold and finished outside the medals with partner Mark Cavendish in the Madison event.
SO WHAT HAPPENED IN 1908?
The last Briton to win three golds at an Olympics was Henry Taylor, 100 years ago.
The 23-year- old won the 400m freestyle, 1500m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1908 London Games.
He also won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Games as well as three medals at the unofficial Olympics of 1906 in Athens.
Taylor learned to swim in the canals near his home in Chadderton, near Oldham, trained at the town baths on 'dirty water day' when admission was cheaper and practised in the Alexandra boating lake in the evenings after finishing work at the cotton mill.
His times in the 1908 Games probably weren't helped by an international fly-fishing competition which was held at the outdoor White City pool. In fact, no one even considered changing the water during the Olympics, which lasted from April until October.
He joined the Navy in 1915 and used to maintain his fitness by swimming around the fleet when anchored at Scapa Flow. He died a penniless bachelor in 1951.
dailymail.co.uk
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