As Britain acclaims it's returning heroes after the country's greatest medal haul for 100 years, then surely the white rose county can join in the celebrations in lauding their new sporting heroes.

Yorkshire has three new Olympic champions as well as four more medalists to revere after claiming a total of seven medals from the 29th Olympiad.

Skipton rower Andy Hodge shrugged off the pressures on the men's coxless four – a boat haunted by the successes of Sir Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent – to write his own name into Olympic folklore by winning gold, the 29-year-old exorcising the demons of Athens where he failed to make the final in the men's eight.

Rotherham sailor Paul Goodison had his own inner torment to expel, having squandered a medal-winning position in Athens to finish fourth. Finding himself in a similar situation on the waters of Qingdao, the 30-year-old helmsman would not be denied twice as he showed he had learned the lessons of heartache to clinch gold.

And playing his own special role in British cycling's dominance in the velodrome, a much younger Yorkshireman in Ed Clancy rode to a gold medal as part of the men's team pursuit.

At just 23, and among such esteemed company as multiple Olympic champions Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins, this Huddersfield-born cyclist has much to offer in London 2012.

One person who may never experience that golden feeling is Guiseley rower Debbie Flood.

Silver medallist in Athens, she again finished second in the quadruple sculls and now heads home to pursue a new career.

Yorkshire claimed a hat-trick of medals in the rowing when Bradford-born Matt Wells won bronze alongside Stephen Rowbotham in the men's double sculls. At 29 he will be well placed to double his tally in London.

Northallerton swimmer Joanne Jackson, 21, went to her second Olympic Games looking to record personal best times, but came away with a bronze medal, after following in the slipstream of training partner and double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington in the 400m freestyle.

And on the final weekend, 25-year-old Sarah Stevenson of Doncaster won a bronze medal in taekwondo's +67kg category.

Many other Yorkshire athletes gained valuable experience ahead of their home Games in four years time, and for those robbed of participation through injury, Jessica Ennis, Hatti Dean, Ellen, Michael and John Whitaker – the road to redemption at London 2012, starts now.