BRITAIN enjoyed further success on the penultimate day of the Beijing Olympics, which have been the most triumphant in a century. James DeGale took the middleweight boxing title by beating Emilio Correa of Cuba on points in a boisterous contest for Britain’s only gold medal of the day to bring the total to 19.

Tim Brabants secured a bronze in canoeing to add to the gold he won on Friday. Sarah Stevenson finished third in the over67kg taekwondo competition after her semi-final bout had controversially been awarded to China’s double Olympic champion Chen Zhang before being reversed on appeal. Tom Daley, the 14-year-old diving prodigy, finished seventh in the highboard.

Simon Clegg, the team leader, said: “From the second day when Nicole Cooke’s victory in the cycling road race fuelled our confidence, we have gathered such momentum and provided memories for the British public back home that they have not enjoyed for many years.”

Britain has one competitor in action today, Dan Robinson in the marathon, who is not expected to finish in the top three, leaving Britain in provisional fourth place in the table with 19 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze. The total of 47 medals easily surpassed sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe’s target of 41.

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DeGale’s 16-14 victory came after a bruising contest. It was Britain’s first boxing gold medal since Audley Harrison’s heavyweight victory in 2000.

Stevenson’s third place followed controversial officiating when she was not awarded two points for a clear kick to the head against Chen. Gary Hall, the taekwondo team leader, said afterwards: “We have to give credit to the Chinese as they said the decision needed to be overturned.”