The gold rush begins: Britain’s Rio Olympics medal tally rises quicker than at London 2012 – Telegraph.co.uk

• Jack Laugher and Chris Mears win diving gold
• Joe Clarke: who is the Team GB canoe slalom gold medallist?
• Max Whitlock ends Team GB’s 108-year wait in gymnastics
• Team GB defeat Argentina in sudden death in rugby

Team GB’s Rio 2016 gold rush is well and truly underway after historic victories for kayaker Joe Clarke and synchro divers Chris Mears and Jack Laugher.

Clarke, 23, kick-started GB’s quest for Olympic gold with a superb victory in the K1 slalom event, the country’s first in the sport since 2004.

Barely an hour later, Mears and Laugher had stunned the crowds at the diving centre with a barnstorming display in the 3m springboard final to win Britain’s first ever diving gold medals.

GB’s superb night continued when gymnast Max Whitlock took bronze in the men’s individual all-around contest, Britain’s first medal in the six-discipline event since 1908.

Earlier there were also bronze medals for cyclist Chris Froome, shooter Steve Scott and judoka Sally Conway, following overnight silver medals in the pool for Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and the men’s 4x200m relay team, bringing GB’s medals tally to 12.

It means that with 11 days to go, GB are already one-quarter of the way towards their overall target of 48 medals, which would make Rio the team’s best ever Games on foreign soil. GB now stand 9th in the medal table, with one more gold than at the same stage in 2012.