Team GB has claimed another rowing medal, missing out on gold by inches.

In an agonisingly close race, the lightweight men's four made it a second day of success on the water at Eton Dorney. On Wednesday rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won the first British gold of the Games, becoming overnight celebrities.

Richard and Peter Chambers, Rob Williams and Chris Bartley won Great Britain's fourth silver following the rowing victory in the women's pair, and cyclist Bradley Wiggins making history by winning the men's time trial.

More Team GB golds could come later as 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 defending their title alongside newcomer Philip Hindes.

Victoria Pendleton, who will retire after the Games, competes alongside Jess Varnish in the corresponding women's event.

Wiggins, 32, 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.

Wiggins celebrated his record-breaking gold medal win by raising a few glasses and getting "blind drunk". The 32-year-old fell off the wagon after disclosing plans to toast his achievement with a few vodka tonics.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning said they woke up having to pinch themselves. A stamp bearing the women's image has now been released by the Royal Mail to celebrate their achievement - a large version of which was presented to the women.

Stanning, who is likely to be deployed to Afghanistan next year, thanked people for cheering them on, saying: "There's been so much interest and so much support. We can't thank people enough. The public watching down there yesterday were phenomenal."

Stanning added that she would be going back to work next month. She said: "I'm very proud to be associated with the military. I will be going back to work and doing the job I trained to do."