LONDON, Aug 7: Hosts Britain surpassed the heroics of four years ago, when they picked up 19 golds, by amassing 22 and counting while also winning more gold medals than at any Summer Games in the last 100 years.

At the velodrome on Tuesday, where the crowd’s roars were deafening, Chris Hoy won his seventh Olympic medal, and sixth gold, with victory in the keirin, taking him past rowing great Steve Redgrave’s five golds.He also matched fellow cyclist Bradley Wiggins as Britain’s most decorated Olympian, although Wiggins has only four golds.

However, Victoria Pendleton, favourite to prevail in the individual sprint, lost out to Australian arch rival Anna Meares.

For Pendleton, who retires after the Games, it was a disappointing end to a glittering career that has delivered two Games golds and nine world titles.

Tuesday strengthened Britain’s third place in the overall medals table in London trailing only superpowers China and the United States, success which has helped fuel huge Games excitement across the country a year after London and other cities were.

“This has really turned into a golden summer for Team GB and for the whole of the UK,” Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters.

In Greco-Roman wrestling, South Korea’s Kim Hyeon-Woo won the 66kg gold, beating Hungarian Tamas Lorincz in the final while Ghasem Gholamreza Rezaei of Iran won in the 96kg division.

Iran’s second gold of the day came when Behdad Salimikordasiabi won the weightlifting gold in the men’s +105kg.

At the Aquatics centre, Russia’s Ilya Zakharov won gold in the men’s 3m springboard diving final , ruining China’s ambition of an eight-gold sweep in the sport as world champion Qin Kai ended with silver.

Meanwhile, Maggie Steffens scored four goals to help the United States beat Australia for an 11-9 win in extra-time to advance to the women’s water polo final.

At Wembley, Mexico advanced to the final of the men’s football tournament for the first time in their history after coming from behind to defeat Asian giants Japan 3-1 after an inspired performance by Oribe Peralta who scored a goal and set up another.—Agencies