TWENTY-three-year-old Malvern cycling champion Liam Killeen took the gold to the strains of another famous Worcestershire son.

Sir Edward Elgar's Land of Hope and Glory is England's anthem at the Commonwealth Games.

The United Kingdom's national anthem God Save The Queen is not used as the countries within the UK compete separately in the games.

The music of Land of Hope and Glory is the late Sir Edward's Pomp and Circumstance March Number One in D and was one of a set of five written in 1901.

Elgar, who was born in Lower Broadheath in 1857 and lived in Malvern, Worcester and Hereford for part of his life, told a friend on composing it: "I've got a tune that will knock them flat!"

The famous composer, whose other works include the Enigma Variations and Dream of Gerontius, was a keen cyclist himself and statue of him leaning against a bicycle features in Hereford city centre.

Catherine Sloan, director of the Lower Broadheath- based Elgar Birthplace Museum, said the museum was delighted Elgar's music was played at a Commonwealth event.

She added: "I don't know why they do it but many people affectionately think of Land of Hope and Glory as the second national anthem."

Ernie Kay of the West Midlands branch of the Elgar Society added that it was as appropriate for the piece of music to be played at such an event as the national anthem. What do you think? Should England always have Land of Hope and Glory as its anthem? When England compete at football or rugby it adopts the UK's national anthem, despite Scotland, Wales and Ireland having their own.