By Sophia McCaughan

Four gold medals in less than six hours – the best day ever for Australia at the Games – have propelled the nation’s golden Olympic haul to 18.

AUSTRALIAN MEDALLISTS

GOLD

• Oliver Bleddyn, Kelland O’Brien, Sam Welsford and Conor Leahy (men’s team pursuit) – After demolishing the world record, Australia beat fierce rivals Great Britain in a pulsating men’s team pursuit final to win the Olympic gold medal for first time in 20 years.

• Keegan Palmer (men’s park skateboarding) – In only his second Olympics, Palmer pulled off the unthinkable becoming a two-time gold medallist after locking in top spot on the podium in the men’s skateboarding park final.

• Matt Wearn (men’s dinghy) – Super sailor Matt Wearn won his second ever Olympic gold after he was forced to race in the final twice after it was initially abandoned close to the finish.

• Nina Kennedy (women’s pole vault) – Kennedy soared to new heights to become Australia’s first ever women’s Olympic champion in a field event after clearing 4.90m.

BRONZE

• Jemima Montag and Rhydian Cowley (marathon race walk relay mixed) – Montag will be bathing in bronze after she and fellow countryman Cowley collected the bronzed medal in the inaugural Olympic marathon race walk.

• Matthew Denny (men’s discus throw) – Denny won Australia’s first Olympic medal in the men’s discus, claiming bronze after the big Queenslander threw 69.31m in the final.

OTHER HEADLINE GOLD MEDALLISTS

• Moroccan superstar Soufaine El Bakkali has become the first man to win back-to-back men’s 3000m steeplechase gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1932.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED

• Australia moved closer to a spot on the podium after the Opals dominated Serbia in the women’s basketball quarter-final 85-67.

• The Sharks are out of Olympic medal contention in the men’s water polo after losing to the United States in a penalty shootout by one goal in their quarter-final.

• It was revealed Australian men’s hockey star Tom Craig spent a night in custody after he was arrested for buying cocaine. He was released without a fine or criminal record, but has lost his athlete privileges, including attending the closing ceremony.

• Aussie Bailey Lewis’ Olympic campaign is over after losing his men’s 58kg taekwondo quarter-final against Tunisian Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi who went on to win bronze.

• Australia’s Kurtis Matthews produced a clutch last dive to just sneak into the men’s 3m springboard final, qualifying seventh out of eight finalists.

WHO SAID WHAT?

“Just being a two-time Olympian, let alone a two-time gold medallist, is an honour. It’s a dream come true to represent the green and gold for Australia,” gold medallist Keegan Palmer becoming back-to-back Olympic champion.

“It has been 20 years since Australia won this, so that will sink in (over) the next week,” Sam Welsford on the men’s team pursuit gold medal following their world record.

“We’re confident. We’re trying to give them (the players) as much confidence as we can when we have limited preparation. Just weather the storm. It was a very professional win,” Opals coach Sandy Brondello after their women’s basketball quarter-final win.

MEDAL TABLE (after day 12)

G S B Tot

1. United States 27 35 32 94

2. China 25 23 17 65

3. Australia 18 12 11 41

4. France 13 16 20 49

5. Great Britain 12 17 20 49