Teesside rower Kat Copeland wins Olympic gold medal

It's been a triumphant day for the region at the Olympics, as Kat Copeland from Teesside won a gold medal in the rowing. She won the lightweight women's double sculls alongside her partner Sophie Hosking, who's a graduate of Durham University. It's only the region's second Olympic gold since the Second World War - after Jonathan Edwards' gold in the Triple Jump at Sydney 2000.

Kat started rowing aged 14 at Yarm School. But two years ago she considered quitting the sport as she didn't want to leave Teesside, where she lives and trains.

Kat said: "I'm still pretty shocked. I think I just can't quite believe it. We were trying to just keep focussed in our boat and I was so focussed I didn't really know what was going on until the last bit and then I was like, "Don't let them catch us!"

"Everyone was watching in Middlesbrough and I just want to say thanks, it nearly made me cry when I heard."

Kieran Clark is one of the coaches at Tees Rowing Club where Kat attends:

"We've seen Kat training, day in day out for the last year and you know those days when the rest of us didn't want to get out of bed she was already on the water and she was just just getting it done, and she's got a gold medal from it."

The pair will be honoured by Royal Mail tomorrow when a stamp is released picturing the moment after their gold medal triumph.