Team GB is aiming to continue its gold medal-winning performances after cyclist Bradley Wiggins' record-breaking feat in the time-trial.

Four-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy begins his London 2012 campaign as the action gets under way in the Velodrome.

Hoy and Jason Kenny won team sprint gold in Beijing and are bidding to defend their title alongside newcomer Philip Hindes. And Victoria Pendleton, who is set to retire after the Games, will compete alongside Jess Varnish in the corresponding women's event.

Britain will also chase more glory on the rowing lake at Eton Dorney after the women's pair of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning delivered the first home gold medal of the Games on Wednesday. Richard and Peter Chambers, Rob Williams and Chris Bartley in the lightweight men's four are strong contenders to finish on top of the podium.

Wiggins secured his position as an all-time British sporting great on Wednesday when he claimed a seventh Olympic medal, a revealed he was going to celebrate with a drinking session. The 32-year-old clinched gold just 10 days after his historic Tour de France victory.

His seventh medal takes him one clear of rower Sir Steve Redgrave, who has six, making him the most decorated British Olympian of all-time.

His delight at the conclusion of the 44km time-trial was shared by thousands of Union flag-wielding supporters. He said: "It's really incredible to win an Olympic Gold in your home city. When you win in the velodrome there are three or four thousand people cheering. Here, around the streets of London, the noise is just amazing. I don't think anything will top that. It's just been phenomenal."

Over at Eton Dorney, crowds were ecstatic as Glover and Stanning stormed to victory. After crossing the line they hugged each other and saluted the supporters including the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Princess Royal. Glover, 26, a former PE teacher from Penzance, Cornwall, has been rowing for four years and was paired with Stanning only three years ago. Stanning, 27, from Lossiemouth, Moray, is a Royal Artillery captain who is likely to be deployed to Afghanistan next year.

Meanwhile, a Chinese badminton star is apparently quitting the sport after she was one of eight players disqualified from the doubles tournament for trying to lose. A comment on a verified account for Yu Yang on a microblogging service read: "This is my last game. Farewell Badminton World Federation. Farewell my dear badminton."

The retirement could not be immediately confirmed with Chinese badminton officials.