In the previous Summer Olympic Games eight years ago in Beijing, China set a record-breaking 51 gold medals bringing analysts and experts to question whether the country has gotten over its “obsession” over the glitz and glamour of winning.
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British athletes were flown home today in a special gold-nosed British Airways 747 jumbo jet where they were all treated to three course meals and champagne and a re-run of Chariots of Fire.
“It gave an immediate sense of the enormity of the achievement British athletes have posted in Rio de Janeiro”. The British won 67 medals in Rio, 27 of them gold.
Flagbearers for North Korea and South Korea march into Maracana Stadium during the closing ceremony of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on August 21, 2016. He won six in Rio, while Biles and USA swimmer Katie Ledecky each won five to lead to lead a big haul from American women.
About $413 million was spent for the London 2012 Games where Team GB won 65 medals including 29 gold.
Great Britain’s most successful overseas Olympic team have returned from Rio after landing at London Heathrow on Tuesday [23 August].
MO FARAHBritain’s Mo Farah, born in Somalia but nurtured in London, captured a “double double” of 5,000-meters and 10,000 golds to emulate Finland’s Lasse Viren, who did the same double at the 1972 and 1976 Games.
A party is being organised for British medal winners at Buckingham Palace this autumn; the Queen is Australia’s Head of State but the party is confined to those winning athletes and staff from the UK.
The Russians and the Chinese probably didn’t feel the same.
China won 26 golds, just over half as many as it won in Beijing in 2008. The United States won both the first and the last gold medals of Rio – Virginia Thrasher won the women’s 10m rifle shooting event on August 6, and the US men’s basketball team, featuring NBA All-Stars, blew out Serbia 96-66 Sunday for the gold.
US swimmer Lilly King beat Russia’s Yulia Efimova for the 100-meter breaststroke gold, doing so after saying the games should have no room for dopers.
“I stand by what I said”, King said.
There were plenty of positives for others, however.
The top athlete from the Caribbean was once again Jamaica’s sprint golden boy Usain Bolt, who nabbed three gold medals overall, two individual and one relay.
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And 10 teams – including the independent team – won their first golds, including Monica Puig in women’s tennis for Puerto Rico.
