Kelly wins again in photo-finish

She's beaten the world's best on the track - and now Kelly Holmes has sprinted past such icons as Marilyn Monroe and The Beatles to feature in the nation's favourite photo.

The triumphant image of the Olympic champion waving the Union flag was yesterday voted the most popular photograph of the past 80 years.

The picture took nearly a quarter of the votes, ahead of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon.

Footballer Bobby Moore brandishing the World Cup in 1966 came third. The rest of the top five also featured home-grown favourites - the wedding-day kiss between Prince Charles and Princess Diana and The Beatles crossing Abbey Road.

The patriotic choices left Marilyn Monroe's 'billowing skirt' pose blowing in the wind at No.6, in a poll by printer maker Lexmark.

Dan Lezano, editor of Photography Monthly, said: 'It's great to see Kelly Holmes sprinting past Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe to become the subject of the nation's favourite photo.

The findings of the poll show that real-life emotion is the winning formula to a great photograph and it's no coincidence that two of the top three shots are of great sporting victories.'

The rest of the top ten were Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's pose, Gazza crying at the 1990 World Cup, David Bailey's portrait of a smoking Michael Caine - and, just to lower the tone, the Athena poster of a tennis player scratching her bottom.

The historic image people most wished had been caught on film was Christopher Columbus's first sighting of America.