KENT'S Kelly Holmes snatched Olympic gold in Athens last night with the race of her life. Holmes, from Hildenborough, near Tonbridge, won a thrilling 800 metres final.

She said afterwards: "I want to thank everyone at home who has supported me through the good and bad times."

It was Britain's first female track gold at the Games since Sally Gunnell in 1992.

Holmes, 34, stormed home in 1min 56.38sec to make up for her World Championship disappointment in Athens in 1997.

She received her gold medal from childhood hero Seb Coe, himself a former Olympic champion.

Holmes, a former pupil at the Hugh Christie School, Tonbridge, said: "It's a dream come true. I have strived for this all my life."

The win, hailed deliriously by British fans at the Panathinaiko stadium, brought triumph at last to Pembury-born Holmes whose athletics career has so often been dogged by injury.

She already holds Commonwealth gold, European silver and Olympic bronze medals, but coveted Olympic gold above all else. Hers was the seventh gold medal to be won by a Briton at the games.

She now goes for another medal in the 1500m in Athens.