Praise as Wiggins medal seals double gold joy for GB

Praise has poured in for cyclist Bradley Wiggins and rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning after they scooped Britain's first gold medals of 2012.

Tour de France winner Wiggins became the most decorated Olympian in British history, with a total of seven medals.

He won the cycling time trial after Glover and Stanning rowed to victory in the women's pairs; all three were hailed by PM David Cameron.

GB's Michael Jamieson later took the silver in the men's 200m breaststroke.

Team GB kept the nation waiting until day five of the Games for the first home gold medals; however, there are high hopes for further podium finishes in Thursday's cycling.

After his victory, Wiggins, 32, cycled through cheering crowds gathered at Hampton Court, where he hugged his wife Catherine and his children Ben and Isabella.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday evening, Wiggins said that despite his success, he did not consider himself to be Britain's greatest ever Olympian.

He also said that, fresh from his victory in the Tour de France, he had been "greedy" and also intended to win Olympic gold. "I felt I could do both," he said, adding that the crowd support on his Olympic time trial ride was "incredible".

David Cameron described the successes in rowing and cycling as a "golden moment for Britain".

Mr Cameron said: "I think it's already a great Olympics, already a great start but this is really going to put rocket boosters on it for the whole country. I'm very, very excited."

Meanwhile, a BBC investigation has found illegal websites still offering tickets - which they have no right to sell - and which buyers may never receive.

Police have warned that such sites do not have access to tickets.

Det Supt Nick Downing, the head of the Olympic crime squad, said: "If they're an authorised site selling tickets, you've got to ask the question - where did they get their tickets from? How can they guarantee a supply? They can't."

In other developments:

• The GB men's football team beat Uruguay 1-0 at the Millennium Stadium to reach the quarter-finals

• Briton Francesca Halsall reached the final of the women's 100m freestyle in the aquatics centre

• At Wimbledon, third seed Andy Murray reached the quarter-finals of the tennis, while the mixed doubles first round between Murray and Laura Robson and Czech duo Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek has been postponed for the day

• British gymnasts Dan Purvis and Kristian Thomas missed out on medals in the individual all-around event, won by Japan's Kohei Uchimura

• London Mayor Boris Johnson was left dangling on a zip wire for several minutes when it stopped working at an Olympic live screen event

• Postage stamps featuring Great Britain's first gold medal winners of the London 2012 Olympics go on sale on Thursday

• Eight badminton players were disqualified after being accused of "not using one's best efforts to win"

• A Welsh footballer has been suspended after an abusive message was sent to Olympic diver Tom Daley, Port Talbot FC said

• The British men's eight rowing team, which includes 40-year-old Greg Searle, won a bronze medal, while GB men's rowing quads sculls made Olympic history by reaching their final

• The Met Police said a cyclist - a man aged 28 - was killed near the Olympic Park this evening by an Olympic media bus. A man in his mid-sixties has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving

Briton Chris Froome took the bronze medal in the time trial, which was watched along the route by an estimated 300,000 people.

Wiggins's grandmother Maureen Cousins was also at the side of the road as he crossed the finish line.

"I screamed when he won. It is a combination of delight and relief... We all think he is the greatest," she said.

Earlier, Glover and Stanning made history by becoming the first British women to win an Olympic gold medal for rowing.

Mr Johnson said an "historic triumph will be celebrated throughout the country today".

"It's an outstanding achievement and I'm sure it will spur on all our athletes in the medal stakes. It's fantastic - Go Team GB," he added.

Glover, 26, a former PE teacher from Penzance, Cornwall, had been rowing for only four years before securing gold with Stanning, 27, a Royal Artillery captain, from Lossiemouth, Moray.

They stormed home in front of cheering crowds at Eton Dorney after leading from the start of the women's pair race.

After crossing the line they hugged each other and saluted the crowd, which included Princes William and Harry and the Princess Royal.

Speaking at the finish line, Glover's mother Rachel said her family was "absolutely delighted".

Stanning is likely to be deployed to Afghanistan next year.

Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Craig Palmer, said: "Soldiers from 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery were thrilled to watch the race from their bases in Afghanistan, while their friends and families watched it here in the UK.

"I am sure that they have been inspired by her performance and we look forward to welcoming her back to the regiment later this year."

Lt Col Palmer spoke to Stanning on the BBC News Channel, telling her she had "done a very special thing".

"We're looking forward to a very big party when you do come back to the regiment," he told Stanning.

Labour leader Ed Miliband praised the athletes as "fantastic" and said the games were going "beyond" expectations.