Congratulations to Katherine Grainger and to the British men's cycling sprint team

Yesterday Katherine Granger won a silver medal with Victoria Thornley in the rowing double sculls which means she has now won five Olympic medals - four silvers and a gold - across five different Games.

This extraordinary record of consistent success over such a period makes her Britain's most succeesful female Olympic athlete.

Kitty Godfree (nee Kathleen McKane) also won five medals, in tennis at the 1920 and 1924 Games, but her medals were one gold, two silvers and two bronze.

After winning gold in London with Anna Watkins, Grainger had a two-year sabbatical before returning with the aim of defending her Olympic title in Rio. Five-time Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave paid tribute to Grainger's achievement, saying:

"It was amazing. This is the best medal Kath has won, because of the hard road she had to get there."

"What she has done for the sport, for women's sport, is incredible. I am immensely proud of her."

Another incredible achievement was notched up yesterday on the cycle track by   Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner, Team GB's sprint team, who won the Gold medal for Britain in this event for the third consecutive Olympics.

GB also took silver in the inaugural men's rugby sevens and the men's canoe double C2 as Britain reached 16 medals by the end of day six.

That total is one ahead of the number won at London 2012 after as many days of competition.

Congratulations to all of them, and indeed all the athletes at the games.

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