Olympic silver and bronze medals for Clitheroe athletes

Clitheroe’s Samantha Murray (22) preserved Team GB’s proud record in the modern pentathlon with a battling silver yesterday.

Ranked just 78th in the world in February, she has enjoyed a season to remember.

She went into the final event, the combined run and shoot, in fourth spot but overhauled Brazil’s Yane Marques and Amelie Caze of France to finish second behind Lithuania’s Laura Asadauskaite.

Murray said: “I had a lot to make up on so needed a good run. I made a few mistakes which set me back but I came through in the end. I’m thrilled.”

And Clitheroe’s Jon Schofield partnered Liam Heath to win bronze in the men’s kayak K2 200m final.

Russia’s Yury Postrigay and Alexander Dyachenko took gold and the Brits (Europeean champions) also finished behind the Belarus team of Raman Piatrushenka and Vadzim Makhneu.

Schofield told the BBC: “That was a long race and I didn’t think we were going to make it to the line. The last few days have been horrible. We weren’t happy with our heat and we were worried. But that start was amazing and we just about held on to get a medal.”

The British pair were cheered on by a capacity crowd, which included Prime Minister David Cameron.