HAIL to our Olympic heroes -- Lancashire's Jason Queally and Ian Peel -- who have put the pride back in British sport with their medals in Sydney.

Not only have cycling speedster Jason and shooting star Ian at a stroke and so soon into the Games wiped out the shame of the UK's miserable performance in Atlanta, but they have done so in sports that seldom get the sort of attention and support that the major athletic events attract.

As a result, Jason's gold and silver and Ian's runner-up medal in the clay pigeon shooting men's trap final are fully-deserved rewards for the extra effort and determination they have had to show. They are also tremendous boosts for their chosen sports. They put their home towns on the map before a world audience of billions.

Great Harwood's Ian -- under immense pressure as an Australian crowd roared on their local hero -- shot his way to silver despite not having competed at Olympic level since 1988 and despite Britain not having won a medal in the event for 32 years. Even more remarkably, Jason rode to gold in the one-kilometre time trial -- shattering his own personal best and the existing Olympic record -- only five years after taking up cycling and after cheating death in a horrific accident in which he was speared by an 18-inch wooden splinter on the track. Then he swept to silver as he anchored team-mates Craig MacLean and Chris Hoy in the team sprint.

True heroes, then -- of whom Lancashire is truly proud.