FORCED to wait and watch as, one after another, his rivals broke the Olympic record three times, a Scots cyclist yesterday remained undaunted and picked up Britain's second gold medal in Athens.
Chris Hoy, 28, from Edinburgh, kept his cool in a sweltering Olympic Velodrome to break the record for a fourth time in 10 minutes and defend the 1km title won by Jason Queally, a fellow-Briton, in Sydney four years earlier.
After the victory, Hoy said: ''I was trying to get myself into my own little world. I was more nervous than I'd ever been in my whole life. The times were very fast but I tried not to let that distract me.''
Going last, Hoy managed to overhaul Arnaud Tournant, of France, and Stefan Nimke, of Germany, to clinch the gold, watched by his proud parents, David and Carol.
Earlier, Campbell Walsh, 26, from Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, won Britain's fourth silver medal of the Games when he finished second in the men's kayak single event.
For several minutes after the event, Walsh, who has an MSc in mathematical physics after studying at Nottingham University, and took up the sport when he was 10, thought he had won a bronze. The first published results said he had finished third, but officials later recognised a timing error and upgraded him to silver.
The pair's success followed that of Shirley Robertson, the Scots yachtswoman, and her crew who ended Britain's gold medal drought on Thursday with a sailing win two days before the final. Robertson led Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton to team gold in the three-woman Yngling class.
Hoy powered round the track in a time of 1min 0.711 secs, the fastest time ever at sea level. His team-mate, Craig MacLean, from Grantown-on-Spey, came seventh.
A sport science graduate from Edinburgh's Moray House, Hoy won silver in the team sprint in Sydney.
He started racing bikes as a child, and became a BMX champion in Scotland. He won a host of other cycling awards, but his ultimate dream was to win the ''big one'' - an Olympic gold.
Hoy said: ''I don't believe it. When I crossed the line, it didn't sink in for a few laps. I really didn't expect in a hundred years to go that fast.''
Jack McConnell, the first minister, who will arrive in Athens today, said: ''He is an outstanding athlete and the whole of Scotland can be very proud of him.''
Team Britain will be hoping to add to its gold medal tally when the coxless four rowing team led by Matthew Pinsent competes today, and Paula Radcliffe goes tomorrow in the women's marathon.
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