BEIJING, Aug 19: Britain confirmed their status as rulers of the Olympic velodrome on Tuesday, claiming two of the last three track cycling gold medals on offer to finish with seven out of 10.

On a day that Australian blushes were saved in timely fashion by Anna Meares’ sprint silver, giving the team that dominated in Athens just one medal, Britain were celebrating a total of 12 out of 30 medals awarded in Beijing.

They medalled in eight of the 10 events, only failing to claim a medal in the women’s points race and the men’s Madison.

Flying Scotsman Chris Hoy brought the curtain down in dramatic style when he equalled a 100-year-old British Olympic record by winning his third gold of the Games in the coveted sprint event, ahead of England’s Jason Kenny.

That handed Hoy a first Olympic sprint title, to go with his victories in the team sprint and keirin.

“It’s pretty special,” said Hoy, who becomes the first Briton to win three golds in a single Games since swimmer Henry Cotton in 1908.

“When I think multiple medals I think about [rower] Steve Redgrave and [swimmer] Michael Phelps. Although I haven’t quite matched up to their medals, it’s a great achievement to have three gold medals around my neck.”

Kenny, a 20-year-old from Bolton who is competing in his first Olympics, picked up the silver and will go home with two medals having won gold in the team sprint with Hoy and third team member Jamie Staff of England.

Britain scored a psychological victory over their sprint rivals by setting a world’s best time for the team sprint in the opening race.

Britain’s record tally of medals was completed by Victoria Pendleton, who maintained her unbeaten momentum throughout the tough three-day sprint tournament to claim her first Olympic crown.

The 32-year-old Hoy, who was born in Edinburgh, now has a total of five Olympic medals, four of them gold.

In Athens he won the kilometre time trial crown on its last Olympic appearance and in Sydney four years earlier he claimed silver in the team sprint behind France.

It was after the kilometre was axed from the Olympic programme that Hoy turned his attention to the speed events.

That has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, leading him to win a first keirin world title in 2007, and defending it in 2008 – when he also won the world sprint crown for the first time.

Britain’s performance director Dave Brailsford also saw gold medals coming from Wiggins in the individual and team pursuit and Rebecca Romero in the women’s pursuit.

Ross Edgar took silver behind Hoy in the keirin while Wendy Houvenaghel made it another one-two when she finished behind Romero.

Chris Newton came third in the points race, the first of two bronzes thanks to Steven Burke in the pursuit.

It will be a hard ask to do better in London, in the run-up to which Britain’s rivals will be working hard to redress the balance.—AFP