Medals target overtaken

Updated 16.38 Wed Aug 20 2008
Keywords: olympic games, beijing olympics, windsurfing, olympics, sailing, cassie patten, sport, bryony shaw, keri-anne patten, swimming

Long-distance swimmers Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten, windsurfer Bryony and hurdler Natasha Danvers have carried Great Britain past UK Athletics' target of 35 medals.

Payne and Patten finished second and third respectively in the 10km open water event after being overtaken in the closing stages by Larisa Ilchenko of Russia.

"I got weeds stuck in my costume and in my face" - Keri-Anne Payne

Payne said: "To get a medal is amazing. We didn't have a tactic, we just went out and swam.

"The course was really flat and one of the best I've ever swum. But I got weeds stuck in my costume and in my face."

Shaw won a bronze medal to earn Great Britain's fifth sailing medal of the Games.

And Natasha Danvers claimed a bronze medal for Great Britain in the 400 metres hurdles.

She ran a lifetime best of 53.84 seconds to finish in third place behind Melaine Walker of Jamaica and Sheena Tosta of the US.

The medal completed an incredible comeback for Danvers who has struggled with injury.

With 16 gold medals and 37 medals in total, Great Britain has already exceeded the target set before the Games and there is hope they will improve on that medal haul.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.