Pictures: Sir Bradley Wiggins' record eight Olympic medals
- Published
Sir Bradley Wiggins won his record-breaking eighth Olympic medal with gold in the team pursuit in Rio on Friday. The attention might have been focused on Wiggins, but he told reporters that his teammates Ed Clancy, Owain Doull and Steven Burke made all the difference. "When you have guys like that it makes your life easier," he said.
Wiggins's first Olympic medal was also in the team pursuit race, 16 years ago in Sydney. It was his first time at the Olympics. He bagged a bronze along with his teammates, Paul Manning, Bryan Steel, and Chris Newton.
It was onwards and upwards from there. Wiggins took his first gold medal four years later at the Athens Games in 2004 - in the individual pursuit.
He also grabbed a silver in the men's team pursuit, with teammates Steve Cummings, Paul Manning and Rob Hayles...
....and completed the set with a bronze in the madison race along with teammate Rob Hayles. Getting a gold, silver, and bronze medal at Athens made Wiggins the most successful British Olympian at a single Games in 40 years.
At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Wiggins held on to his individual pursuit title, taking the gold again.
And he continued his success in the team pursuit as well - upgrading the silver he won in Athens to a gold along with teammates Paul Manning, Ed Clancy and Geraint Thomas.
At London 2012, Wiggins celebrated his spectacular victory in the time trial like a true king of cycling - sat on a throne at Hampton Court Palace in front of a roaring home crowd. That same year he became the first Brit to win the Tour de France, so it wasn't a surprise when he was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He even received a knighthood from the Queen - giving him the "Sir" in front of his name.
So what's next for Sir Wiggins? With five golds, one silver, and two bronze medals, Wiggins now says that he'll be calling it a day. He celebrated his last time stood on an Olympic podium in classic style, sticking his tongue out during the national anthem.
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