Day 13, Thursday 9th August, Ladies Day

The first medals of the day came in the Dressage, or as it has come to be known, the horse dancing. This time they were taking the horses around to music, and our big hopes were among the last out. The problem was that the penultimate rider out, from Holland, put in a routine where, according to the commentary, she "smashed it" (Damn you Keays & Gray). Charlotte Dujardin's ride looked pretty good to the uneducated eye, but there was a point towards the end where they thought she'd made enough of a mistake to miss the Gold. I think they were more surprised than anyone when she won - perhaps a bit of a hometown decision? I don't really care, especially after we got nothing in the Velodrome!

Charlotte Dujardin, Dressage, Gold

Laura Bechtolsheimer, Dressage, Bronze

Ah, proper Yorkshire grit from Nicola Adams, winner of the first ever boxing medal for women. When interviewed about the support, she said it had made her day! It was a great fight as well, she put the Chinese World Champion on her backside, and was 9 points clear going into the final round. The crowd, who were mainly there for Irish national heroine Katie Taylor, went absolutely beserk, and ramped it up even more for Taylor, who duly delivered the medal the whole of Ireland were waiting for.

Nicola Adams, Boxing

The most unexpected Gold of Ladies Day was in the Taekwondo. Jade Jones, the 19 year old from Flint in Wales, whose local pub got everyone to chip in so that she could go to the junior olympics in Singapore 18 months ago! I think they got the return on their investment tonight!

She had to get past the World Number 1 in the semi (which she did), and then the World Champion in the final. I wasn't sure about the ultra-defensive tactics of the Chinese player in the final, and both seemed to be nursing injuries by the end, but Jade only went and beat her, to exuberant celebrations! Well done Girlo, only the 3rd Welsh woman to win an Olympic Gold.

Jade Jones, Taekwondo, Gold

Honorable mentions to Keri-Anne Payne, finishing half a second off Bronze in the 10km Open Water Swim, and Andrew Osagie, smashing his lifetime season's personal best in the fastest 800m ever, won by David Rudisha in unquestionably the finest performance in the stadium, a world record time and the first person under 1.41. Osagie broke the world record for the person finishing in 8th!