YOG 2010: Golding hails doubles gold as 'best feeling ever'

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat, in Singapore

OLLY Golding hailed his Youth Olympic Games tennis doubles victory as the 'best feeling of my life'.

WINNING FEELING: Great Britain's Olly Golding celebrates his tennis doubles gold at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore (Singapore Press Holdings)

The 16-year old, who reached the semi-finals of junior Wimbledon at the All England Club earlier this year, won Great Britain's fourth gold of the Games alongside Jiri Vesely, of the Czech Republic.

The pair took less than an hour to beat Russia's Victor Baluda and Mikhail Biryukov 6-3, 6-1.

The victory made amends for Golding's disappointment in the singles, when he lost in the quarter-finals, after claiming the scalp of world number one Marton Fucsovics in the opening round.

"Before I came here, if someone had told me I would get a medal I wouldn't have believed them. To get one is probably the best moment of my career," said Golding.

"It feels unbelievable - the best feeling of my life."

Fifth-seeded Vesely, who lost in the second round of the boys singles, also said the medal made up for his earlier disappointment.

"This win is really important. I hope this medal will help me in the singles as well," he said.

Before arriving in Singapore, the duo had never played together but they have known each other for five years - and that chemistry was evident in a succession of impressive victories.

"Doubles is all about the energy, keeping the momentum going. That's one of the key points," Golding said. "You have to play with someone within your region but we'd already decided to play together before we learned that."

  Lloyds TSB, proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and supporter of Team GB on their journey to the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games. Visit LloydsTSB.com/London2012