A TEARFUL Chris Hoy wrote his name in the record books as he secured a historic third cycling gold at the Laoshan Velodrome today.

He beat team-mate Jason Kenny, exactly 12 years his junior, in the men's sprint final to ensure his place in the pantheon of British sporting greats.

His medal collection may not match that of American swimmer Michael Phelps - but the victory was his third in just five memorable days - following his previous wins in the team sprint and keirin race.

Hoy - already Scotland's greatest ever Olympian - won the fourth gold of his decorated career with a peerless performance of power sprinting that will live long in the memory for all who witnessed it.

Hoy admitted Britain had exceeded all expectations after he claimed the eight gold and 14th medal of the cycling.

The Scot said: "It's the most unbelievable feeling. You cross the line and all the pressure and expectation evaporates and it's like nothing else you've ever felt."

He also praised Kenny, saying: "To have someone who's a team-mate, who's only just got on the team, he's going to be the best man in the world in a very short space of time.

"It's about the process and the performance, breaking it down to the technical elements. That's why the emotions come out at the end, it just erupts out of you.

"As a team we've gone well beyond what was expected."

Kenny felt Hoy was just too good for him in the end. The 20-year-old said "He's really hard to beat. I gave it my best shot. On the second run I got it down perfectly but he had the legs. That's just the way it is. He's mega. Just watching him train is amazing."

Swimmer Henry Taylor, the last British athlete to win three golds in a single Games, would have struggled to believe the scenes today.

All he had was his trunks and his wits, while Britain's cyclists carry with them enough space-age kit to launch a mission to the moon.

But Hoy's victory wasn't dependent on technology for success.

With tree trunk thighs, a lung capacity that could host an Olympic swimming pool and the heart of a lion, there was a certain crushing inevitability about his success.

Hoy breezed past semi-final opponent, France's Mickael Borgain, in two straight races - the Frenchman wouldn't have got near him if he'd been riding a supped-up Penny Farthing.

And Britain's overwhelming power at the velodrome was underlined when Kenny - a member of Hoy's team sprint gold medalists - beat Germany's Max Levy to make it an all-British final.

Cycling's sprint discipline might often start like a slow bicycle race from a primary school sports day but it ends in a blur of pedals as speeds touch over 40mph.

And no-one is better than Hoy - with nine world titles and two Commonwealth golds to add to his endeavours on sport's biggest stage.

Kenny tried in vain to get on level terms but there was no denying the Scot his destiny. The Real McHoy, the Hoyminator, the Golden Hoy of British cycling.

Meanwhile, fellow Brit Victoria Pendleton made it a double gold medal success story at the velodrome - beating Australian Anna Meares 2-0.