Kelly Holmes put the smile back on the face of British sports fans last night after winning gold in the Olympic's 800 metres in a thrilling race.

The 34-year-old from Kent battled hard round the final bend to take the lead inside the last ten metres and just cling on for victory.

So close was the race that a worried-looking Holmes had to wait for the announcement of the official result. She then raised her arms aloft and her face broke into a wide smile.

After completing a lap of honour, Holmes told the BBC it was a dream come true.

She said: "I cannot believe it. I didn't even realise I had won. I had to see the replay twice to make sure."

The former Army PE instructor said she was "digging in" during the final stages of the race.

"I dreamt of this moment every day of my athletics career," said Holmes.

She wept tears of joy as it dawned on her that she had become Britain's first female Olympic champion on the track since Sally Gunnell in 1992.

Holmes only decided last week to run the two-lap event as well as the 1,500m and it proved an inspired decision.

Earlier yesterday, a distraught Paula Radcliffe broke down in tears again saying she had "let everyone down" after her marathon agony.

"At the moment I am struggling to comprehend what happened and find a reason for it," she said. "To run that badly - and not really have a reason for it - is so hard."

Radcliffe said she did not blame the heat or the hills of Athens, or the immense expectation on her shoulders.

"They are conditions I have run in before and I have coped with," she said. "Everybody had to compete in those conditions.

Radcliffe said no decision had been made on whether she will try for that elusive Olympic medal by running in the 10,000 metres on Friday.