Great Britain's Best : 2008 Olympics Quiz

Answer: Wales

In torrential rain, Nicola Cooke of Wales secured the first British Gold in the Olympic road race. It was the first Gold medal for the principality since Lynn Davies took Gold for long jump in the 1964 Tokyo games. From the Vale of Glamorgan, 25-year old Cooke was already a two-time World Cup champion at the time of the 2008 Olympics.

Answer: 400m freestyle

The first Gold for a British woman since Anita Lonsborough won in the 200m breaststroke in 1960, and the first medal of any colour for a woman swimmer since 1984. Rebecca managed to win by a fingertip to beat Katie Hoff, the USA swimmer, who had been tipped to win 6 Gold medals before the Olympics. Apparently, her home town, Mansfield are going to refurbish the town's swimming pool in her honour.

Answer: France

Although the British cycling team were hotly tipped for medals, this was not supposed to be one of their events. An interesting event. All three set off, then the rider leading on lap one peels off and two go around together, then for the final lap only one rider is left. Chris Hoy was the one to bring them home ahead of France.

Answer: Steve Williams

It was the first gold for the other three. Britain had a great record in rowing, with their super-Olympian, Steve Redgrave, winning gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000.

Answer: Dame Kelly Holmes

Kelly Holmes, who won athetics Gold at 800 and 1500m, became a Dame of the British Empire, joining the Member of the Military Division of the British Empire (MBE) that she had been awarded for services to the British Army. Rebecca Adlington's time for the 800m was 8:14.10, breaking a record that had been set the year she was born, 1989.

Answer: Velodrome

Velodrome is from the French for bicycle (Velocipide) and Drome from the earlier word, Hippodrome (a place for horse racing). A diamond is what baseball or softball is played on, and a court is for sports like tennis. The men's individual pursuit is raced against the clock over a distance of 4 kilometres.

It has only been an Olympic event since 2004, and Bradley Wiggins won it then too. Steven Burke (GB) took bronze in the same event in 2008, so two places on the podium for the UK.

Answer: A derny bike

The derny moped paces the riders from 25km/h up to 45 km/h for the first few laps. It then peels off and leaves the cyclists to it. Apparently in Japan where it is very popular, it is not uncommon for riders to headbutt each other. Thankfully, the Olympics is more civilised, and Hoy was not called upon to give anybody a "Glasgow Kiss". Nine medals (of all colours) were won by the British team on 'Super Saturday'.

Answer: Zac Purchase

Zac, who was in the bow, was born in Cheltenham. In 2003, he was under-23 world champion. Mark Hunter is a River Thames licensed waterman and lighterman, an ancient profession which Mark was apprenticed for six years before gaining the qualification. It enabled him to skipper passenger and freight boats on the Thames.

Answer: New Zealand

Ben Ainslie, Britain's greatest Olympic sailor, is an amazing person. Having won Gold in the Laser class in Sydney 2000, he deliberately put on 40 pounds (18kg) to race Finn at Athens 2004, where he duly won Gold. He then worked as Tactician in Team New Zealand, to help them prepare for their America's Cup challenge.

Answer: Shirley Robertson

Shirley Robertson went on to have twins after Athens, and the two Sarahs replaced her with Pippa Wilson. In 2007, Shirley Robertson formed a new crew with Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor, but only one crew could go to China, and it was the 'three blondes' who got the nod. Shirley Robertson was commentating for the BBC in Beijing, and was the first person to congratulate them after the race.

Answer: Rowing

After suffering a back injury, Rebecca Romero decided that she wanted a new challenge, so she went to Britain's national cycling centre in Manchester to have a go at track racing. She was a natural, and took the silver medal in the 2007 world championships and then in March 2008 became world champion. Wendy Houvenaghel is also a comparative newcomer to racing cycling, only taking up cycling at the age of 27 to keep her husband company on his training rides. Houvenaghel, a dental surgeon from Northern Ireland, was soon out-racing him. Dan Hunt must have had a dilemma in the final, as he coached both women.

Answer: Jason Queally

The team not only won Gold, they got a world record when beating Denmark in the final. Jason Queally, who won Britain's first Gold medal at Sydney 2000, was not on the team.

Answer: Laser

Paul Goodison was so disappointed after coming fourth in Athens and missing a medal, that he considered giving up the sport. Luckily, the 30-year old from Sheffield persevered to go on to win Great Britain's 13th Gold, and he and his boat were lifted out of the water and on to dry land. All the wrong answers were also Olympic sailing classes.

Answer: Victoria

Victoria Pendleton beat Australia's Anna Meares in the first two races in the sprint's 'best of three' format.

Answer: Chris Hoy

Bradley Wiggins had his chance to win a third gold in the men's Madison with Mark Cavendish, but having started favourites, the pair finished eighth. Later, Chris Hoy took his place in history by beating team mate Jason Kenny in the sprint. Amazingly, Britain's team had won an incredible 7 out of 10 golds in the track cycling.

Answer: She received a 12-month ban for missing three out-of-competition drugs tests

Christine Ohuruogu blamed 'absent-mindedness and a change in training venues' for missing three drug tests. She was banned from competing for a year, and the British Olympic Association tried to stop her competing in future Olympics. However, she appealed against her Olympic ban and it was overturned on November 27, 2007.

Answer: Ian Percy

Ian Percy had finished sixth in the Star class in Athens 2004, so was delighted to end his eight-year drought. This was Andrew Simpson's first Gold. Britain's sailors finished the Olympics with four gold medals, a silver, and a bronze.

Answer: Yes

In lane five, Brabants led from the start of the race at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, holding off the challenge of Canadian Adam van Koeverden. Brabants had won Bronze in Sydney 2000, but only finished fifth in Athens 2004.

Answer: Middleweight

Correa was seeking to match his father, Emilio Correa Vaillant, who won Gold at welterweight in Munich in 1972. but 22-year old DeGale proved the better boxer. The London boxer has the nickname, 'Chunky'.

Answer: London

The cities bidding for the 2012 games were London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, and Paris. Moscow, New York, and Madrid were eliminated and London won a two-way fight with Paris by 54 votes to 50 at the IOC meeting in Singapore. The Olympics were held in London in 1948, the XIVth Olympiad of the modern games.