London Olympics 2012: Yorkshire would be higher in the medal table than South Africa, Japan and Australia

• Four Yorkshire athletes have won gold at London 2012 so far
• Olympic champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis, 26, comes from Sheffield
• Other Yorkshire medal winners include Ed Clancy, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Katherine Copeland

By Rob Preece

PUBLISHED: 12:33 EST, 5 August 2012 | UPDATED: 12:36 EST, 5 August 2012

To its residents, Yorkshire is known as 'God's Own County'.

And were it a country in its own right, the white rose county would be riding high in the Olympic medal table.

Four Yorkshire athletes, including Sheffield's Jessica Ennis, have won gold at London 2012 so far, prompting Twitter users to celebrate how the county is faring better than Japan, South Africa and Australia.

A tweet by a Leeds-based sports journalist, claiming that Yorkshire would be 11th in the medal table, has been retweeted more than 3,400 times.

Top of t'world: Jessica Ennis, of Sheffield, celebrates winning gold for Great Britain in the women's heptathlon

Champion: Ennis shows off her gold medal after finishing more than 300 points clear of her nearest challenger. She has been promised a civic reception when she returns to Yorkshire

Ennis, 26, won gold last night in the Olympic Stadium, coming first in the heptathlon by more than 300 points.

A postbox outside Sheffield's City Hall has been painted gold in her honour, and the city's council has promised to welcome her home with a full civic reception.

Another Yorkshire champion is cyclist Ed Clancy, who won gold for Great Britain in the men's team pursuit.

Clancy, 27, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, could clinch a second medal in the men's omnium event.

Wheels on fire: Ed Clancy, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, goes for gold in the velodrome at London 2012

Winners: Clancy (left) celebrates victory with team-mates Geraint Thomas (right), Steven Burke (second left) and Peter Kennaugh after the men's team pursuit final

Pride: Sports reporter Jonathan Buchan's message on Twitter has been retweeted more than 3,400 times

Andrew Triggs Hodge, 33, a rower raised in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, was a member of Great Britain's gold-winning men's coxless fours crew.

He won the race at Eton Dorney with crewmates Alex Gregory, Peter Reed and Tom James.

The fourth gold medal winner is Katherine Copeland, whose family live in Stokesley, North Yorkshire.

Copeland, 21, won the women's lightweight double sculls with Sophie Hosking.

Three other Yorkshire athletes have also won medals.

Lizzie Armitstead, 23, from Otley, clinched silver in the women's cycling road race.

Her achievement was matched by Nicola Wilson from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, who won a silver in the team eventing competition with Zara Phillips, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King and Tina Cook.

Rower Tom Ransley, 26, was part of the British men's eight crew which won bronze. He hails from Kent but attended York University and has competed for York City Rowing Club.

Glory: Andrew Triggs Hodge celebrates with arms aloft after he and team-mates Tom James, Pete Reed and Alex Gregory clinch gold in the men's rowing four event

Triumph: Yorkshire athlete Katherine Copeland (left) won gold with Sophie Hosking (right) in the lightweight women's double sculls

By contrast, at 6pm today South Africa had won three gold medals, Japan had two and Australia only one.

It prompted Leeds radio journalist Jonathan Buchan to tweet on Saturday: 'If #Yorkshire was a country it would currently be 11th in the medal table above the likes of Japan, South Africa and Australia! #teamgb'

Yorkshire could be in line for more Olympic success later this week.

Brothers Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, aged 24 and 22, from Leeds, are highly fancied in the men's triathlon, which is due to take place in Hyde Park on Tuesday.

In contention: Triathlete Alistair Brownlee, pictured holding a Yorkshire flag after an event last year, is tipped to do well in the Olympic race on Tuesday

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