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*GREAT Britain’s Olympic gold rush continued unabated yesterday with Ben Ainslie making sailing history and Andy Murray finally coming good in a major tennis final.

And there was yet more medal success for Yorkshire with Huddersfield’s Ed Clancy taking a bronze in the cycling omnium event to add to his earlier gold in the team pursuit.

Yorkshire’s remarkable list of medalists, including the likes of Sheffield’s Jessica Ennis and rower Andrew Triggs Hodge, raised in Hebden, would put the county well up the Olympic medal table on its own - and ahead of established sporting nations like Australia.

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Ainslie’s fourth successive gold medal meant the 35-year-old replaced Denmark’s legendary Paul Elvstrom as the Games’ most decorated sailor after triumphing on home waters in front of thousands of supporters in Weymouth.

He faced fierce resistance throughout the week from Elvstrom’s countryman Jonas Hogh-Christensen but managed to finish ahead of the Dane in afternoon’s medal race to increase an Olympic haul which also includes a silver.

“I don’t think that will ever settle in,” Ainslie said of his record-breaking feat.

Ainslie’s gold in the Finn class was Great Britain’s second sailing medal of the day after defending Olympic champions Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson took silver in the Star class.

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Meanwhile Andy Murray banished the heartbreaking memories of his Wimbledon final defeat against Roger Federer by beating the Swiss tennis genius on the same court to take Britain’s Olympic gold medal tally to 16 - third in the table behind only China and USA.

Murray had previously lost all four of the grand slam finals he has reached - three of them to Federer - but swept to a crushing win in less than two hours.

He also picked up a silver in the mixed doubles after the Scot and his partner Laura Robson lost the final to Belarusian pair Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi.

Elsewhere, there was more success for Britain’s male gymnasts with Louis Smith and Max Whitlock - cheered on by the Duchess of Cambridge - won both silver and bronze medals with heroic performances on the pommel horse.

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Smith, who had been one of the favourites to win gold, was narrowly beaten by arch-rival Krisztian Berki from Hungary.

It was the second medal of the Games for both Smith, 23, and Whitlock, 19, who also won bronze with their teammates in the group all around competition on Tuesday.

Smith, who was cast as one of the poster boys of the Olympics, gave a dazzling performance on the pommel horse.

In yesterday’s final he and Berki had both got the same score - 16.066 - with the tie-break meaning that Berki’s higher execution score made him the winner.

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Smith, from Peterborough, also won a bronze on the pommel horse in Beijing four years ago.

He said getting silver was an “unbelievable” feeling and added: “To do that routine, under that kind of pressure, being eighth up, with two massive scores to beat, it was very nervewracking but I’m glad I’m still alive.

“I think I’ve done myself proud.”

Asked how he would celebrate, Smith said: “I cannot wait to go out and have a drink and have a McDonald’s.”

Whitlock, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, said getting a bronze medal felt “crazy”.

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He added: “I’d come into the Olympic Games just wanting to get a final for myself personally and for the team to do as well as they can, and I can’t believe it.

“I’ve exceeded that and can’t be happier.”