Thomas extends Welsh medal haul

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Video - GB team pursuit power to gold

Cycling ace Geraint Thomas has ensured the 2008 Beijing Games is Wales' best Olympics for 88 years.

The 21-year-old won Wales' third gold as he helped GB's Team Pursuit stars smash their own world record to beat Denmark in Monday's Olympic final.

Thomas followed fellow cyclist Nicole Cooke and rower Tom James into Olympic immortality in Beijing.

Tom Lucy won silver in the eight-man rowing boat as Beijing is Wales' best Olympics since the 1920 Antwerp Games.

Thomas and pursuit team-mates Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy and Paul Manning clocked an incredible three minutes 55.314 seconds to create their third world record this year.

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Video - Britain strike gold in coxless four

"It was an awesome achievement by an awesome team," said Cardiff rider Thomas.

"It's a special day for me, it's great!"

The Olympic showpiece was a repeat of the World Championship final earlier this year where Team GB secured back-to-back world titles.

Thomas and his team broke the Team Pursuit world record at the Worlds in Manchester before lowering that time again in Sunday's semi-final.

It was a Welsh cyclist that kick-started Britain's gold rush when Nicole Cooke completed her road race grand slam on the second day.

James continued Wales' 2008 Olympic medal fest in style as the 24-year-old guided Britain's flagship boat to the coxless four rowing crown.

The Wrexham rowing hero won Wales its first Olympic rowing medal since Hugh Edwards' double gold in the coxless pairs at the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

Lucy's first Olympics had a sliver lining as the Monmouth rookie's eight-man crew finished second behind Canada in Sunday's final - as Wales played a key role in Britain's greatest weekend of Olympic success ever.

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Video - GB held to rowing silver by Canada

The 2008 Games is already Welsh sport's best since they won four golds at the 1920 Olympics - still Wales' most impressive gold medal haul.

"This could become Wales' best Olympics," hailed James. "And I'm proud to be a part of it."

David Davies failed to better his 1500m freestyle swimming bronze from Athens 2004 in Sunday's final but the Commonwealth champion is among the medal favourites for the new Olympics 10k Open Water event on Thursday (0200 BST).

"I'm really proud of Wales' achievements at this Olympics," said Davies.

"It looks to become an incredibly memorable Games for a proud sporting nation and I want to be a part of that."

Wales won four golds in 1920 as Paulo Radmilovic and Christopher Jones were part of the victorious water polo team while Cecil Griffiths and John Ainsworth-Davies were in the 4x400m team that won gold.

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Video - Cooke wins first GB gold medal