Golden night for the British stars of Beijing

Victoria Pendleton swapped her bike for an evening dress and in the process confirmed her status as Britain's most glamorous Olympic champion.

Pendleton, 28, showed off her gold medal at a ball last night to celebrate British success at the Beijing Games. Ms Pendleton, who is the world's fastest woman on a bike, has never fought shy of demonstrating her non-cycling attributes.

The pin-up of the British Olympic team, she has previously posed naked on her bicycle as well as holding it aloft while wearing a little black dress.

Last night she left the bike at home and just brought her gold medal to the Olympic Gold Ball at the Natural History Museum. Alongside her were Christine Ohuruogu, the 400m sprint champion, and Sarah Webb, one of the "three Blondes in a Boat", who won her second yachting gold medal in Beijing after also triumphing in Athens. Ohuruogu wore a black dress while Webb opted for a gold number.

Also attending were Pendleton's fellow cycling champions Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins, boxing hero James Degale and triple jumper Phillips Idowu. Britain enjoyed its most successful Games for a century, finishing fourth in the medals table. The ball, organised by the British Olympic Association, raises funds to support athletes hoping to compete in London in 2012 and also at the next winter Olympics in 2010.