Great Britain's Beth Tweddle ended her wait for an Olympic medal as she claimed bronze on the uneven bars at the North Greenwich Arena.
The 27-year-old went into the Games as Britain's most successful gymnast, with three world, six European, seven British medals to her name.
A medal on the biggest stage of all had so far eluded her, but she put that right with a routine that was virtually flawless until she misjudged her landing.
Russia's Aliya Mustafina claimed gold with a score of 16.133 ahead of defending Olympic champion He Kexin of China, who claimed silver with 15.933. Tweddle's 15.916 was good enough for third.
Even though she did not manage to claim the Olympic crown, Tweddle was delighted to win her first medal at the Games.
She said: "It means everything. I just wanted to win a medal it didn't matter what colour.
"It's the best feeling in the world. Everyone knew coming into these championships it was the one medal missing from my collection.
"I always said I didn't care what colour it is. Bronze - I'm made up with it.
"It's a massive thing for British gymnastics and obviously the boys have been smashing it up.
"Our target was one to two medals and we've come out with four. We couldn't have asked for any more.
'"The routine was really good. Obviously there was the step on dismount, which everyone keeps reminding me about, but if I'd been asked if I want to go again I would have said no.
"That's how pleased I was with the routine.''
Asked if she thought the step had cost her gold, Tweddle said: "It could have done, but you know what? I don't care.''
He was first to compete and produced a near-perfect routine as an anxious Tweddle, who finished fourth on the uneven bars four years ago in Beijing, looked on.
It was slightly down on the Chinese gymnast's total in qualification but it set an impressive marker at the start of the final.
Victoria Komova, reigning world uneven bars champion who won silver in both the team and individual all-around, was next and scored a disappointing 15.666 despite a strong double-double landing after she caught the lower bar during her routine.
German Elisabeth Seitz, the last-place qualifier, moved into bronze medal position before China's Yao Jinnan overtook her and into silver with a score of 15.766.
Tweddle then stepped up to perform her routine to tremendous cheers from the home crowd.
The City of Liverpool gymnast produced a beautiful routine, brimming with complexity and with the maximum difficulty on her dismount, but needed to take a couple of steps on her landing after she struggled with the last rotation.
The judges scored Tweddle's routine down on her 16.133 qualification mark, which moved her into silver medal position behind He.
Mustafina then stepped up and produced a brilliant routine, pushing He into silver and Tweddle down into bronze medal position with two gymnasts still to come.
Japan's Koko Tsurumi did not trouble to top of the leaderboard as she went seventh, while American Gabrielle Douglas was also unable to overhaul the Brit.
In the men's vault, Great Britain's Kristian Thomas finished in eighth place despite a huge first vault as he failed to land his second to average a total of 15.533.
South Korea's Yang Hak-Seon won gold with a huge average of 16.533 from his two vaults.
Yang was crowned Olympic champion ahead Russia's Denis Ablyazin who, claimed silver with Ukraine's Igor Radivilov winning bronze.
Thomas said: "I just wanted to finish the Olympics on a better vault. In that way I'm disappointed but in a few days I'm sure when I look back I don't think at these Olympics I could have done any better.
"If I would have landed it I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't have been in with a medal shout.
"At the start of the Olympics if someone told me I'd make a vault final I'd have been over the moon.
"Give me a couple of days and I'll be a lot more happy.''
In Monday's other apparatus final, Brazilian gymnast Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti claimed a dramatic victory in the men's rings final.
Defending champion Chen Yibing of China looked set to retain his title and led all the way through the competition after he performed first and scored an impressive 15.800.
Zanetti was the last man to comepete and powered to gold with a score of 15.900, with Italy's Matteo Morandi finishing in bronze medal position.
Iordan Iovtchev, competing in his sixth Olympic Games at the age of 39, scored 15.108 to finish in seventh position.
