London 2012: Olympic tears and triumphs – in pictures

Sir Chris Hoy weeps on the podium during the victory ceremony for the track cycling men's keirin event at the velodrome. Hoy set a British record to win his sixth Olympic gold medal Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

A tearful Victoria Pendleton is consoled by her father Max as she calls an end to her Olympic career after taking silver in the track cycling women's sprint Photograph: David Davies/PA

Anna Meares of Australia celebrates winning the gold medal ahead of Victoria Pendleton of Great Britain in the track cycling women's sprint final Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Liu Xiang of China stops to kiss the last hurdle after a terrible tumble at the start dashed his Olympic dream in the heats for the men's 110m hurdles. He had also crashed out of the event at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but in London, he hopped the length of the course to finish the race and was escorted off the track by fellow athletes Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott/EPA

Great Britain's Alistair Brownlee, the new Olympic triathlon champion, shakes hands with silver medallist Spain's Javier Gómez at the finish Photograph: Jason O'Brien/Action Images

Siarhei Karneyeu of Belarus reacts in disbelief after his opponent, Azerbaijan’s Teymur Mammadov, was awarded a slim victory in their heavyweight (91kg) boxing match at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Ivan Sekretarev/AP

Great Britain's Phillips Idowu grimaces after a jump in the men's triple-jump qualification round. The silver medallist in Beijing failed to qualify for the final in London Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images

Han Soonchul of Korea (left) celebrates his victory over Fazliddin Gaibnazarov of Uzbekistan during the men's lightweight (60kg) boxing competition at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

The USA team reacts to Argentina's challenge during the final preliminary game of the men's basketball competition at London 2012. USA won 126-97 Photograph: Rob Carr/Getty Images

Tunisia's Habiba Ghribi celebrates after winning the silver medal in the women's 3000m steeplechase final Photograph: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images

Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic breaks down in tears during his gold medal ceremony after winning the men's 400m hurdles final. He won the gold medal with exactly the same time – 47.63 secs – he ran at Athens eight years ago, but had failed to make the final in Beijing Photograph: Robert Ghement/EPA

Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi and France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad celebrate taking gold and silver respectively in the men's 3000m steeplechase final Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images

Yamilé Aldama of Great Britain misses out on a medal in the women's triple jump final at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Australia's Tom Slingsby celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Laser class sailing competition at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Bernat Armangue/AP

A dejected Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter of Great Britain contrasts with the celebrating Danish pair of Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist, who edged them into the silver medal position in the lightweight men's double sculls rowing final Photograph: Peter Powell/NOPP

Great Britain's Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland sob after getting their gold medals for winning the women's rowing lightweight double sculls Photograph: Steven Paston/Action Images

Britain's Mo Farah appears shocked after winning the men's 10,000m final at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Mark Blinch/Reuters

Jamaica's Usain Bolt celebrates with compatriots after winning the men's 100m final at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Britain's Jessica Ennis breaks down in tears as she realises that she has won the gold medal in heptathlon after a blistering run in the 800m race Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Talita Rocha and Maria Antonelli of Brazil celebrate after winning match point against Australia in the women's beach volleyball Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Peter Wilson of Great Britain falls to his knees in tears after winning the gold medal in the men's double trap shooting final Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images

China's Zhang Jike celebrates beating compatriot Wang Ho to take the gold medal in the men's singles table tennis at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Grigory Dukor/Reuters

Germany's David Storl competes in the men's shot put final at the London 2012 Olympics. Poland's Tomasz Majewski eventually won the gold medal, with Storl taking silver Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Aldo Montano of Italy (left) and Aliaksandr Buikevich of Belarus in a quarter-final match in men's team saber fencing at the London 2012 Olympics. Italy ended up with the bronze medal in the event Photograph: Dmitry Lovetsky/AP

Great Britain's Anthony Ogogo celebrates after beating Ukraine's Levgen Khytrov in the round of 16 in the men's middleweight (75kg) boxing at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Steven Paston/Action Images

Great Britain's David Florence and Richard Hounslow celebrate their silver medal in the men's canoe double (C2) event with coach Mark Delaney Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Cheon Seul-ki of Korea celebrates scoring against Japan in a pool match in the women's hockey at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

China's Sun Yang reacts after winning the men's 1500m freestyle swimming final at the London 2012 Olympics Photograph: Matt Slocum/AP