• London Olympics 2012

Slalom gold and silver for Great Britain

Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott claimed a marvellous gold © PA Photos

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Great Britain won both gold and silver at Lee Valley White Water Centre on Thursday, as Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott claimed a dramatic Olympic victory in the men's C2 canoe slalom.

Richard Hounslow and David Florence - who took advantage of a competition loop-hole to come together and put a second British boat in the competition - were beaten by just 0.36 seconds as they claimed silver, with the famous Hochschorner brothers of the Czech Republic adrift in third.

Stott and Baillie were not considered favourites for victory, but delivered when it mattered in a sport that can be gloriously unpredictable.

"When we turned up today we knew it could have been a disaster - but now it's a complete dream," Stott said.

Baillie added: "I was happy we were just in the top six for the final, and then thought if we could finish fourth that would be cool. I am just made up for it all. You never know what is going to happen."

It was a hugely exciting afternoon of canoe slalom, with Stott and Baillie setting the target for others to beat after a clean first run of 106.41s with the other five pairs still to come. It was the lack of penalties that would prove crucial, however, as the Chinese and Polish pairs both failed to top the British run as they clattered gates.

With Florence and Hounslow having qualified fastest for the final and thus going last, that meant Britain were guaranteed at least a bronze medal even with three more boats to finish. When the French failed to move to the top of the leaderboard that meant a silver was already in hand - while once the three-time Olympic champion Hochschorner brothers were also edged out it simply became a matter of which British double act would ultimately claim gold.

Florence and Hounslow had already experienced individual disappointment in the men's C1 and K1 this week - both failing to qualify for their respective finals - but their presence in those competitions meant they were also allowed to pair up for the C2 and add a second British boat to the field.

For much of the run it looked like the duo would trump their team-mates to steal the gold for themselves, but they lost their rhythm just slightly towards the end of the course - and that would prove crucial as they finished just over a third of second behind Baillie and Stott.

"We put in a good run but we were just on the wrong side," Florence, who won a silver in the C1 four years ago, noted. "But to win an Olympic medal - we are certainly not disappointed."

Hounslow added: "On the start line we knew we had a gold medal, which is fantastic really - we are one team.

"To be honest it was probably the sprint to the finish [that decided it], but it is fantastic."

It was a sparkling result for Britain, who had been expected to make the most of home advantage but had struggled so far at Lee Valley. Earlier in the day Lizzie Neave had added to the home disappointed as she failed to reach the final of the women's K1 - before Baillie and Stott and Florence and Hounslow ensured the canoe slalom schedule ended on a home high.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.