August 12, 2008	Tuesday	Sha'aban 9, 1429

LONDON, Aug 11: The British press hailed Monday the country’s golden start to the Beijing Olympics, after Britons won two gold medals in the first three days of the Games.

Swimmer Rebecca Adlington claimed Britain’s first-ever individual women’s Olympic freestyle gold medal on Monday, after Welsh cyclist Nicole Cooke came first in the women’s road race Sunday.

“Britain’s New Golden Girl,” beamed the daily London Evening Standard over a picture of Adlington, 19, noting that she had won Britain’s first women’s swimming Olympic gold medal for 48 years.

Adlington’s success came too late for most of the morning papers, which splashed pictures of a grinning Cooke on their front pages. “Gold Pedallist,” headlined the Daily Mirror while its tabloid rival the Sun chose “Gold Pedal.”

The Guardian noted that the early success recalled the 2000 Sydney Games, and contrasted with Athens in 2004.

“The impetus of an early medal was noticeable by its absence four years ago in Athens,” said its correspondent.

“Britain’s team management will be hoping that [Cooke’s] victory will prompt a reprise of the Sydney 2000 medal rush sparked by Jason Queally’s unexpected gold on the first day,” he wrote, referring to the English track cyclist.

The Western Mail, the Welsh daily, filled its entire front page with a picture of Cooke proudly holding her medal, under the headline “Our Olympic golden girl.”

“Who cares about the credit crunch and the summer monsoon? Nicole Cooke has brought a ray of golden Olympic sunshine into the gloom,” it proclaimed in an editorial.

“The Wonderwoman from Wick [her home village] deserves the plaudits of the nation for delivering GB’s first gold in such fabulously gritty style,” it said, referring to the rain which dogged her race.

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said the victories, which have helped put Britain in sixth position so far in the overall medals table, were “a great start to the Beijing Olympics for Team GB.”

Britain, which is to host the next summer Olympics in 2012, came 10th in Athens in 2004, with nine gold medals.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has not announced a medal target for Beijing but UK Sport, the national funding agency, set last month an initial target of 35 medals including 10 to 12 golds.—AFP