It was a definite case of gold rush for the West when

homegrown heroes took their places on the world podium in a

bumper Olympic weekend. In what was billed a Super Saturday and

Sunday for Team GB, our region's athletes helped take the

nation's medal position up to third.

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And it was in the water where the West made the biggest

splash with victories in rowing and sailing.

In yesterday's lightweight men's double scull,

Cheltenham-born Zac Purchase, along with partner Mark Hunter,

claimed gold for Gloucestershire.

Zac's sister cried tears of joy as the duo hit the record

books, setting an Olympic best time to take the title and

earning Britain's first ever lightweight rowing gold in the

event.

Zac, who grew up in Bushley near Tewkesbury, was a rowing

coach at Cheltenham college before taking up the sport on a

full-time basis.

A talented musician, Purchase used to raise money to fund

his early rowing career by busking in Tewkesbury town

centre.

He said a decade of work had paid off in Beijing.

"The last 10 years of preparation really and training has

come down to six-and-a-half minutes of hell, really, but it's a

fantastic result.

"It is brilliant to have this heavy medal hanging around my

neck – I'm glad I did the weights in the winter to be able to

hold it.

"Here you see the result of 18 months of really hard work

that has paid off perfectly. I am sure the bar at the hotel

will take a bit of a hit this evening. We have been looking

forward to this for so long."

Zac's father, Nick, said he was overjoyed at his son's

success but nervous during the race.

"I kept a lid on it for the first 1500 metres but then I

started to lose it.

"It was absolutely fantastic.

"The Team GB supporters are the best in the world – you can

always hear us."

And sister Freya said she was also emotional watching the

22-year-old cross the line.

"It was amazing, I couldn't stop crying, still can't, which

is ridiculous. We're so proud."

It was the second gold medal for Gloucestershire after

county pair Pete Reed, a naval officer from Nailsworth, and

Steve Williams, from Cheltenham, claimed gold in the men's four

on Saturday.

Pete said: "We've done so well. We're relieved and happy,

that is the hardest thing I have ever gone out to do.

"It was so, so difficult, thank you to everyone at home,

it's magic."

It was the best return for British rowing since the first

London Olympics of 1908 saw Team GB top of the rowing medal

table.

Elsewhere in the region, yngling skipper Sarah Ayton, from

Weymouth, Dorset, led teammates Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson to

snatch the first gold medal at Olympic Sailing Regatta.

The three blondes battled home in first place in their medal

race, well ahead of their Dutch rivals.

"Winning an Olympic gold medal, you're the best at what you

do in the world," said skipper Ayton.

"You just can't describe what Sarah and I have been through

for the last four years and with Pippa for the last two.

"It's been incredible and words can't even put any kind of

feeling on it, just the look we have, we know we're the best,

just us."

The team will now look to defend their title on home turf at

the 2012 Olympics when the sailing events will be based in

Weymouth.

Scores of other athletes helped secure a bumper crop of

medals for Great Britain. The youngest rower since Sir Matthew

Pinsent, Tom Lucy from Bristol, won a silver medal in the men's

eight.

The 20-year-old who learnt to row at Monmouth School took

part in a nail biting race at the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park.

The eight-man boat held off the United States to finish second

behind Canada.

Meanwhile Steve Rowbotham secured a bronze medal with

partner Matthew Wells in the men's double scull.

In a final which saw the duo pipped to the finish line

Steve, from the village of Winscombe near Weston-super-Mare,

said: "Very disappointing not to get the gold, extremely

disappointing not to get the silver with it being so close but

I've said before you never pass up an Olympic medal and I'm so

proud that me and Matt have achieved this and the results have

paid off."

The six medals would rank the West Country at position 14,

above Canada and the Netherlands.

The Queen has invited Britain's Olympians to a drinks

reception after taking a "keen interest" in Team GB's success

this weekend, a royal spokeswoman said. Athletes will visit

Buckingham Palace for early-evening drinks on October 16 to be

congratulated by royal family members.

And Gordon Brown sent his congratulations for the British

team's "superb and unprecedented achievement".