(5 Aug 2012) STORYLINE:
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, hailed what he described as "the greatest day of sport" for Britain, after an extraordinary 'Super Saturday' for the home team.
Three British athletes winning three gold medals in the Olympic Stadium in a delirious 44-minute spell produced the signature moment of the London Games.
"Up until last night there was never any question to the answer I would given you about my greatest night in any venue and it was Sydney ... And I think this did edge ahead of it," Coe told the media on Sunday.
"There was a narrative yesterday of infectious success, it's a day none of us will ever forget," he added.
Six gold medals, including three in track and field within the space of an hour, had given the country its best day at an Olympic Games since 1908.
Beijing in 2008 had Michael Phelps eclipsing Mark Spitz's iconic record with eight golds in the Water Cube and Usain Bolt getting three golds in three world-record sprints in the Bird's Nest.
Sydney in 2000 had Australian Cathy Freeman, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia and US sprinter Michael Johnson together conjuring up one of the most memorable nights ever on an Olympic track.
And at the midpoint of the 2012 games, London on Saturday had hometown athletes Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah winning one after another, whipping to a froth the stadium crowd that proved to be a star, too, by lifting their champions to undreamt-of heights.
Britain's Olympic poster girl, Ennis won a gold medal in the women's heptathlon capping off two days of intense competition.
"Doesn't really matter what's thrown at her, she was never going to lose it and her road to redemption started in the medal ceremony in Daegu last year," Coe said.
Commenting on the performance of the Australian team in London 2012 games, Coe said he believed Australians "will be back in a very, very big way quite quickly."
"It's not a conveyor belt of success, you get the normal warp and weft of competition," he said.
The Australian team has won one gold medal, and 12 silvers so far.
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