Sir Bradley Wiggins, Jason Kenny and Britain's other greatest Olympians

Image: Bradley Wiggins now sits top of the list of GB greatest ever OIympians

Sir Bradley Wiggins became Great Britain's most decorated Olympian at Rio 2016 while Jason Kenny joined Sir Chris Hoy as the country's most successful and Laura Trott also became GB's first ever four-time female gold medallist.

Track cycling again led the way for a brilliant Olympics with Wiggins winning his eighth Olympic medal and fifth gold as part of GB team pursuit four at the 2016 Games, having previously picked up at least one gong at every Games since Sydney in 2000. 

His performance moved him ahead of Sir Chris Hoy's tally of seven, although six of the Scot's were gold and Hoy was joined on that number when Kenny added his name to the list with three golds in Rio.

Not to be outdone, Trott became Britain's most successful ever female Olympian...twice. Having claimed a third gold in the team pursuit to become the first to three, she was joined by Charlotte Dujardin on that mark a few days later.

But on the final day in the velodrome she took a dominant win in the omnium to claim her fourth.

Advertisement

Following the achievements, we run the rule of some of the finest names in British Olympic history

Sir Bradley Wiggins - track and road cycling

Also See:

Image: Wiggins and the GB pursuit team won gold at Rio 2016

Eight medals: 5 golds, 1 silver, 2 bronze

Wiggins eased into his Olympics career with a bronze in the team pursuit in 2000, before heading to Athens and winning gold, silver and bronze respectively in the individual pursuit, team pursuit and Madison events.

Four years later in Beijing he picked up two more golds on the track in the team pursuit and individual pursuit events, before switching to the road at London 2012, where he won the time trial.

Wiggins now has eight after his gold in Rio, and it remains to be seen whether he'll attempt to go on to Tokyo in four years in an attempt to claim any more.

Sir Chris Hoy - track cycling

Image: Sir Chris Hoy

Seven medals: 6 golds, 1 silver

Hoy, in attendance at the Rio velodrome as Wiggins created history, became Great Britain's most successful Olympian in history at London 2012 as his two golds took his tally to six.

The Scottish cyclist won silver in the team sprint at the Sydney Games in 2000, before claiming his first gold in the 1km time trial in Athens four years later.

Hoy then gained a knighthood for his exploits in Beijing as he won three more golds - in the individual sprint, team sprint and keirin, before triumphing again in the latter two events on home turf in 2012.

Jason Kenny - track cycling

Image: Jason Kenny celebrates gold in Rio with victory in the individual sprint

Seven medals: 6 golds, 1 silver

Kenny won gold alongside Hoy at the Beijing Games in the team sprint, before claiming silver in the individual sprint, having been beaten by his GB team-mate in the final.

The Bolton-born rider then claimed gold in the team sprint in London, while also topping the podium in the individual sprint, where he was selected to compete ahead of Hoy.

In Rio he took gold on the opening night of the track cycling with victory in the team sprint alongside Philip Hindes and Callum Skinner, he added a second with victory over team-mate Skinner in the individual pursuit.

And he joined Hoy as the most successful British Olympian when claiming gold in a dramatic keirin on the same night his fiancee Trott won her fourth.

Sir Steve Redgrave - rowing

Image: Steve Redgrave poses with his five gold medals from five different Olympics

Six medals: 5 golds, 1 bronze

Redgrave may have won one less gold than Hoy, but the legendary rower did top the podium at five consecutive Olympics.

He first triumphed in the coxed four in Los Angeles in 1984, before switching to the coxless pair in Seoul 1988, where he also won bronze in the coxed pair. 

He then joined up with Matthew Pinsent for Barcelona 1992 and won gold in the coxed pair again, before the duo repeated the feat in Atlanta 1996, Great Britain's only gold medal at that Games.

Despite initially claiming he wouldn't be going to Sydney, Redgrave then found himself back in a boat in 2000, where he won his fifth and final gold in the coxless four alongside Pinsent, James Cracknell and Tim Foster.

Sir Ben Ainslie - sailing

Image: Sir Ben Ainslie won four gold medals

Five medals: 4 golds, 1 silver

Ainslie won silver in 1996 in the Laser class, before going one better four years later to win his first gold in Sydney.

He then piled on the pounds to compete in the finn class at Athens in 2004, an event he dominated again in Beijing and London 2012, becoming the only sailor to medal at five separate Olympics in the process.

Rather than chase Redgrave's record of consecutive golds, Ainslie stepped away from his Olympic career after 2012 in order to focus on the America's Cup.

Sir Matthew Pinsent - rowing

Image: Matthew Pinsent (front) celebrates after winning his fourth rowing gold at Athens 2004

Four medals: 4 golds

Not satisfied with the three gold medals he won in the boat with Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent decided to go on to Athens in 2004 to win gold again.

Him and Cracknell topped the podium again in Greece alongside Steve Williams and Ed Coode, but he decided not to chase a fifth gold medal in Beijing four years later.

Laura Trott - track cycling

Image: Great Britain's Laura Trott on the podium after winning gold in the omnium

Four medals: 4 golds

Trott picked up the first two of her gold medals at London 2012, just a few miles away from where she grew up in Cheshunt, Hertforshire.

With the women's team pursuit and omnium events included at an Olympics for the first time, Trott won both events and set out in Rio to defend both her titles.

Having teamed up with Joanna Rowsell and Dani King in London, she was again joined by Rowsell in Rio 2016 where Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker helped GB to the pursuit gold again.The win meant she became the first British woman to win three Olympic gold medals - she was followed a few days later by Charlotte Dujardin in Equestrian.

And just a few days later she was victorious again in the six-discipline omnium for a second successful defence and a place in history as Britain's most successful female Olympian.

Outbrain