CONGRATULATIONS TO WORLD CHAMPION JESSICA

JESSICA ENNIS WINS GOLD

Jessica Ennis, 23, has just become the 2009 World Heptathlon Champion in Berlin, only the 6th British woman ever to win a World Championship Gold. In 2008 Jessica was unable to compete in the Beijing Olympics due to multiple stress fractures in her rightfoot and ankle, and she had to learn to use her left foot for the Long Jump.

Today Sheffield born psychology graduate Jessica is a shining example of someone who has overcome adversity in just 12 months to become a World Champion. Her parents, Jamaican born Vinnie Ennis and Alison Powell lost a fortune in 2008 after booking booked flights and accommodation for the Beijing Olympics before Jessica had to pull out. They are understandably delighted with their daughter's success this time.

Congratulations to Jessica on her fantastic achievement. She is now tipped to be the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. It brings back memories of the sensational successes of British athletes in the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, and augurs well for London 2012. Britain can hold its head up again in world sport.

2008 BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Chris Hoy, a 32 year old Scot from Edinburgh has just been voted the 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year for his epic achievement in winning 3 Gold Medals at the Beijing Olympics, the most successful British cyclist in Olympic history. The last time a cyclist won this sports award was Tommy Simpson in 1965.

Runner up was 23 year old Lewis Hamilton, the youngest person to become World Motor Racing Champion, who comes from Stevenage just down the road. Third place went to Rebecca Adlington, a bubbly 19 year old blonde from Middlesborough, who won 2 Gold Medals in swimming at the Beijing Olympics - and still gets up at 5am every day to practise! The most noticeable feature about these three sports personalities is their natural charm and modesty over their fantastic successes as British athletes, so different from the antics of some of our pampered and overpaid footballers.

Sadly the lovely Victoria Pendleton, Bedfordshire's own Olympic Gold Medal cyclist, pictured above, just missed the final shortlist but she gave a gracious acceptance speech when accepting the BBC Sport Team Award on behalf of the Olympic Cycling Team. The team cycled into the Liverpool studio in their sports gear, before changing back into their more glamorous evening clothes. David Brailsford the Olympic Cycling Coach won the BBC Sports Coach of the Year Award - a fantastic haul of well deserved BBC Sports awards for our brilliant British cyclists.

The other photograph is of tiny 13 year old Eleanor Simmonds, who won a gold medal in swimming at the Beijing Paralympics, the youngest ever British winner, and she was voted the BBC Young Personality of the Year tonight.

BRITISH BOXER WINS 19TH GOLD MEDAL

James Degale, 23, has just won Britain's 19th Gold Medal in the Men's Middleweight Boxing Finals. James was the 40-1 outsider and is the 1st British boxer to win a gold medal since 1968. Tim Brabants added to his Gold Medal success by winning a Bronze Medal in the Men's Canoe/Kayak 500m.

Sarah Stevenson won a Bronze Medal in Taekwondo, Britain's 1st ever Olympic medal in this sport by defeating an Egyptian in the semi-final. Sadly she was defeated by a Mexican in the final. Lisa Dobriskey came 4th in the Women's 5000 metres, just missing a medal in her first Olympic Games. Britain's only remaining chance of a medal rests with 14 year old Tom Daley in the Diving Finals tomorrow morning.

Predictably Britain has slipped back to 4th place behind Russia, but has achieved an amazing total of 47 medals including 19 gold and is still the leading small nation.

Emma, my 6 year old granddaughter has just acquired 2 female guinea pigs, named Victoria (after Victoria Pendleton our Bedfordshire Olympic Cycling Sprint Champion)and Rebecca(after Rebecca Romero, also an Olympic Cycling Champion).

This afternoon I am off to spend the rest of the August Bank Holiday with my daughter Helen and 2 grandchildren Jessica, 5 and Oliver, 3, so I am taking a few days off. Will be back on line next week.

DR. TIM WINS BRITAIN'S 18TH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN BEIJING

Today Dr.Tim Brabants, 31, won Britain's 18th Olympic Gold Medal and lst ever Gold Medal for Canoeing in the Men's 1000m. Canoe/Kayak Single(K1)and led throughout the race. Tim won a bronze medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He has trained for 15 years and put his medical career on hold in 2006 to prepare for the Beijing Olympics so his Gold Medal is richly deserved.

Heather Fell won a Silver Medal in the Women's Modern Pentathlon, missing gold by just 9 seconds. James Degale won his Middleweight Boxing Semi Final and is now guaranteed a gold or silver medal. Sadly Tony Jeffries and David Price lost their boxing semi-finals and had to settle for Bronze Medals.

Today's unluckiest British contestant was Shanaze Reade, who was in silver medal position in the Women's BMX Race but made a last attempt to beat her French opponent and crashed, ending up with no medal. The Gold Medal hunger among the Team GB squad is such that only Gold will do - hence Phillips Idowu's long face after winning a Silver Medal yesterday and the tears from the Quadruple Sculls Women when they won a Silver Medal - but there is another chance for them all at London 2012.....

Britain is still in 3rd place with 44 medals, just ahead of Russia

TEAM GB ACHIEVES 40 OLYMPIC MEDALS

British sailors won their 4th Gold Medal today when Ian Percy and Andrew Simpson beat the Swedish pair in the Star Sailing Event. David Davies won Silver Medal in the arduous open air Men's Marathon 10 km Swim and missed gold by 1.5 seconds. Phillips Idowu expected to win a gold medal in the Men's Triple Jump but had to settle for Silver.

Britain is 3rd in the medal table with 17 gold medals but Russia is close behind with 16 gold medals. We have more medal chances tomorrow - Shanaze Reade in Women's BMX Cycling, Tim Brabant in Men's Kayak and our 3 boxers.

WILD BRITAIN - IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE
Today I took Emma, my 6 year old granddaughter to Wild Britain at Bedford Butterfly Park, a conservation area set in 10 acres of wilflife meadows in Wilden. We saw a wonderful collection of tropical butterflies, followed the hedgehog interactive trail, fed the goats, watched a puppet show and Emma enjoyed the art and craft activities. If you are looking for a fun and educational day out for the family at modest cost why not visit Wild Britain.

STOP PRESS
The closing date for the Poll to find Bedford's Sexiest Politician has been extended to 29 August so you can still vote for me. I have 134 votes so far and I am in 3rd place but I need as many of your votes as possible. Today I received this great comment from an anonymous Blog reader -

"Congratulations on your worthy 3rd place, so far anyway. Maybe a late burst will get you at least a Silver! Hope my vote helped. Have enjoyed your Olympic blogs. Keep up the good work."

OLYMPIC GOLD FOR BEDFORDSHIRE CYCLIST VICTORIA PENDLETON

Victoria Pendleton, our own World Champion Cyclist from Stotfold in Bedfordshire stormed home in the Olympic Women's Sprint today in 11.1 seconds to win her first Olympic Gold Medal and the first Gold Medal for Bedfordshire and the Eastern Region.
Victoria's Gold Medal brings the Cycling Team's total medal haul to an astonishing 14medals, including 8 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze - 7 golds in Track Cycling alone.

Chris Hoy battled with his British team mate Jason Kenny in the Men's Sprint Finals to win his 3rd Gold Medal and Jason won the Silver Medal. Chris Hoy has achieved three Olympic records. He is the 1st Briton to win 3 gold medals (+ 1 silver) in one Olympic Games for 100 years, the most successful Scottish Olympic athlete ever and the most successful track cyclist, with 4 Olympic gold medals and 1 silver medal. British cyclists have dominated the Beijing Olympics, winning a gold and silver medal in 3 events and have totally outclassed cyclists from other nations.

The first Gold Medal today was won by Paul Goodison in the Sailing Laser Class and this afternoon Christina Ohuruoga unexpectedly won Britain's first Athletics Gold Medal in the Women's 400 metres. Also Germaine Mason won a Silver Medal in the High Jump with a jump of 2m 30. On Monday a 3rd gold medal was won by Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield in Sailing which has the highest gold medal total after the cyclists.

Britain now has an amazing 33 medals, including 16 Gold in 8 different sports - our best result for 100 years and it is all down to our dedicated young athletes and their superb coaches who have worked hard for years to achieve Olympic glory.
We salute you all and look forward to more successes in future.

BRITISH GIRLPOWER IN BEIJING

Emma Pooley, a 25 year old Cambridge graduate won a Silver Olympic Medal yesterday and demonstrated the true Olympic spirit. On Sunday she took part in the gruelling Beijing Road Race, helping her team mate Nicole Clark to win Britain's 1st Gold Medal but only came 23rd herself. Yesterday it was Emma's turn and this tiny 7 stone cyclist battled up the Beijing hills on a specially adapted bicycle in the Women's Time Trial Cycling Event, missing a Gold Medal by just a few seconds.

On Tuesday the Equestrian Team achieved a double bronze in the 3-day Event, with Tina Cook, a 37 year old mother of two winning individual and team bronze medals with her 4 team mates including Mary King, Daisy Dick and Sharon Hunt.

Where are the British men? So far British women have won 5 of the 6 individual medals, including 2 Gold Medals for swimming and cycling and 9 of the 11 British medals overall. David Florence won a Silver Medal in canoeing and William Fox-Pitt a Team Bronze Medal in the 3-day Event but what happened to Andy Murray and Tom Daley the 14 year old British diving wonder?

Our Bedfordshire women have a chance to shine this weekend. On Tuesday Gail Emms, the Bedford badminton player won a ferocious 1st round match with her partner Nathan Robertson against the 2004 Chinese Olympic Champions. Victoria Pendleton, 2007 World Cycling Champion from Stotfold cycles on Saturday and Paula Radcliffe, 2005 World Marathon Champion, runs in the Sunday Marathon. Good luck to them all.

OLYMPIC GOLD FOR BRITISH WOMEN

Many congratulations to Nicole Cook a 25 year old Welsh cyclist from the Vale of Glamorgan who won the 1st Beijing Olympic Gold Medal for Team GB in the Women's Road Race on Sunday
and is the 1st Olympic Gold Medal winner for Wales in 36 years.

Britain's 2nd Olympic Gold Medal was won by 19 year old Rebecca Adlington in the 400 metre Women's Freestyle. Rebecca is the 1st female British swimmer to win an Olympic Gold Medal in 48 years. Team mate Joanne Jackson won a Bronze Medal.

David Florence was the first British man to win a medal - a silver in canoeing and The British Equestrian Team won bronze medals in 2 events. Kristina Cook won both individual and team bronze medals and was one of 4 women in the successful team.

Great Britain is now in 9th place with 2 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals and the women have performed best so far, winning 70% of the British Olympic medals.

STOP PRESS

You can still vote my Blog one of the 2008 Top Ten Political Blogs by googling www.totalpolitics/com/politicalblogs before 15 August 2008. Also the Bedfordshire's Sexiest Politician Poll on Blogging for Bedford - www.bloggingforbedford.go.uk - closes on 21 August.