Super Saturday: The greatest day in Team GB Olympic history

Saturday, 4th August is a date that is etched into British sporting history, as six gold medals were won on home soil, in the same day by Team GB.

The medals were spread across three different sports – Athletics, Cycling and Rowing – and will forever be remembered as the Pinnacle of the London Games.

In this article, we look back at a stellar 24 hours and reflect on the British athletes’ success on that incredible day.

When was Super Saturday?

Super Saturday took place on Saturday, 4th August 2012, in the midst of the London Olympic Games.

How many golds did Team GB win on Super Saturday?

Great Britain’s athletes collected six gold medals on Super Saturday. Three in Athletics events, two in Rowing and one in Track Cycling.

Which athletes won gold on Super Saturday?

Jessica Ennis won gold in the women's heptathlon, with Greg Rutherford following that up with gold in the men's Long Jump.

Mo Farah completed the golden athletics trio, by claiming victory in the men’s 10,000m.

The two rowing golds came from the men’s coxless fours (Alex Gregory, Tom James, Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs-Hodge) and the women’s lightweight double skulls (Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking).

The other gold medal on Super Saturday was collected in the track cycling, with Laura Trott, Dani King and Joanna Rowsell winning the women’s team pursuit.

How Super Saturday unfolded

11.36am - Rowing - Men's four

Alex Gregory, Tom James, Pete Reed, Andrew Triggs-Hodge

The quartet of Alex Gregory, Tom James, Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge started the medal surge on Super Saturday.

Three of the four rowers in the team – Reed, James and Triggs Hodge – had won gold in Beijing four years previous.

They were each selected again, along with Gregory, following the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials and took top spot ahead of the Australian and American quartets.

11.57am - Rowing - Women's lightweight double sculls

Katherine Copeland, Sophie Hosking

The men’s success was quickly followed by a trip to the top of the podium for the duo of Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking.

Neither of the ladies had competed before at an Olympics but revelled in the atmosphere and held off the pair from China to secure a gold.

6.09pm - Cycling - Women's team pursuit

Laura Trott, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell

London 2012 was an event that was very special for Laura Trott, who won the first of her two gold medals on Super Saturday.

The girl from Harlow became a star almost overnight, as she firstly enjoyed success alongside Dani King and Joanna Rowsell in the women’s team pursuit.

The trio broke the world record three times en route to gold, beating the United States to top spot.

Three days later, Trott won her second gold of the 2012 Games, this time on her own, in the women’s Omnium.

9.02pm - Athletics - Heptathlon

Jessica Ennis

In the space of just 44 minutes, Britain claimed three Athletics gold medals and brought deafening roars from the sell-out stadium, and it was started by Jessica Ennis in the Heptathlon.

The Sheffield athlete had won the Heptathlon World Championship gold a year earlier and the pressure was on to deliver on the Olympic stage.

Ennis was up to the test and broke her own British record in the process, with the crowd on their feet to cheer her home in the 800 metres.

9.24pm - Athletics - Men's long jump

Greg Rutherford

Then came Greg Rutherford, who had shown himself to be in good form when equalling Chris Tomlinson's British record of 8.35m in California in May earlier that year.

After reaching the final with a jump of 8.08m, the man from Milton Keynes took the lead in the second round with a leap of 8.21m before improving that to 8.31m in the fourth to secure his first ever world medal.

9.46pm - Athletics - Men's 10,000m

Mo Farah

An historic evening was completed on the track, when Mo Farah stepped up to the start line for the men’s 10,000m.

Farah had been pipped for first place in the World Championships 12 months before, but was determined that wouldn’t happen again.

Despite a challenge from his training partner Galen Rupp, the British star held on to claim what would be the first of two gold medals, winning in a time of 27:30.42 – before he doubled up in the 5,000m seven days later.