THE Queen yesterday joined in the congratulations for Team GB for its Olympics success as Britain collected its 19th gold medal.
As the Beijing Games drew to a close, the Queen said she had followed this year's events with "great interest" and looked forward to 2012.
Team GB picked up a gold in boxing and two bronzes in kayaking and taekwondo, but there were disappointment
s in the relays, which meant Britain was pushed into fourth place in the medal table by Russia on the penultimate day of competition.
But the Queen paid tribute to all competitors yesterday after Britain enjoyed its most successful Games since 1908.
She said: "As the Olympic Games in Beijing draw to a close, I have been particularly impressed by the British and Commonwealth athletes who have taken part in this memorable competition and who have contributed so much to the spirit of these remarkable Games in the various disciplines.
"The golden triumphs of the present British team can only serve as further inspiration to those who will be working hard over the next four years to make the London Games a shining example of Olympic success."
The Queen spoke as boxer James DeGale won the men's middleweight title after surviving a frantic late assault by Cuban Emilio Correa to claim the gold medal at the Workers' Stadium. There were also two more bronze medals in kayaking and taekwondo.
DeGale, 22, from London, had eased into an 11-5 lead at the halfway stage, but was lured into a street-fight by his experienced foe in the final minutes, resulting in a nail-biting finish in which the Briton hung on to score a thrilling 16-14 success.
With Dan Robinson, the country's last medal hope, due to run in the marathon today, Britain's tally of gold medals stands at 19, with an overall 47, its most successful Olympics for a century.
DeGale sank to his knees at the final bell then showboated with the Union Flag draped around his shoulders, relishing the boos of the Chinese crowd who had backed the Cuban to win.
DeGale admitted afterwards his Cuban opponent was a tough competitor – and revealed he had been bitten in the first round. "He knew he was six points down and bit me. He was tough, horrible and strong throughout the bout."
Britain clocked up other medals on the final day of competition, bringing the overall tally to 47. Kayaker Tim Brabants won bronze in the men's 500m race.
Brabants, who won the gold medal in the 1,000m single kayak final in dominant fashion, was edged into third place yesterday in a thrilling finish to the 500m event.
The 31-year-old accident and emergency doctor, who put his medical career on hold to pursue Olympic glory, finished behind Australian Ken Wallace and world champion Adam van Koeverden. Speaking after the event, Brabants said he had achieved what he set out to do in the Olympics.
He was spurred on to victory by the memory of his mother Liz, who died of leukaemia three years ago.
Brabants said: "I looked at the board and it said I was silver, then it dropped me down to bronze.
"But I have to be happy. I came out to these Olympics with the hope of getting two medals – one of them gold – and that is what I have done. It has been fantastic. I feel very lucky to be here."
Sarah Stevenson took bronze in the +67kg taekwondo contest to become Britain's first ever medallist in the sport. She added to Team GB's collection with a 5-1 victory over Egypt's Noha Abd Rabo.
Stevenson, 25, overcame a rollercoaster day which saw her controversially eliminated at the quarter-final stage and then later declared the victor after the British team protested against the judges' decision.
However, there were no medals to be collected in the relays, with both the men's and women's 4x400m British teams missing out on medals, while Kent runner Lisa Dobriskey finished fourth in the women's 1,500m final.
Britain's teenage diving sensation Tom Daley finished seventh in the 10m platform final at the Water Cube, making him the highest-placed British diver at the Beijing Olympics.
Daley, 14, from Plymouth, grinned as he walked on to the platform for his first dive in his first individual Olympic final. But he could not quite perform to medal standard against his more experienced opposition.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among the crowd watching his performance – a fact which impressed the schoolboy.
Daley said: "I wasn't aware the Prime Minster was here, although I got a good luck note from him just before I competed.
"That is pretty cool to know I was being watched by the Prime Minister."
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