Britain won 67 medals at the games – the country’s biggest medal count in more than a century and two more than the remarkable haul in London four years ago, putting Team GB second in the medal table.
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Those members of the squad who stayed in Rio for Sunday night’s closing ceremony waved goodbye to Rio on Monday as they enjoyed a party atmosphere travelling with medals round their necks and posing for selfies with their British Airways pilot and flight crew.
“It makes me bloody proud”, Sebastian Coe, the former head of the London Games organising committee said this week.
Excited athletes were keen to share the flight home on social media.
Hockey gold medallist Susannah Townsend tweeted a picture of the hockey team with the caption: “Memories that will last a lifetime! Thank you very much for the special flight @British_Airways”.
For Team GB’s homecoming, it also features ‘#greattobeBAck’ – a hashtag that the fans and athletes are encouraged to use.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s official spokeswoman said there would be “no formal cap” on the number of honours which can be awarded to the athletes.
The record-breaking team was welcomed by cheering groundstaff as they landed at Heathrow this morning on a specially chartered British Airways jumbo jet. That capped an Olympics in which the US dominated the medal tables, both the gold (46) and overall totals (121).
The stars of the US team at these Summer Olympics had barely stepped off the medals podium when they were asked about coming back for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
For China, the world’s most populous country, it was the worst Olympics for 20 years – especially sobering after topping the standings at Beijing 2008 and finishing second in 2012.
Others likely to be honoured include gymnast Max Whitlock, showjumper Nick Skelton and rower Katherine Grainger.
That’s not to say there weren’t problems, including a Portuguese official being robbed at knifepoint; a police officer being killed in one of several nearby shootings involving drug gangs; and the mysterious green color of the Olympics diving pool, apparently caused by its pH level.
So went the medal race at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where the Americans-with women leading the way-dominated both the gold and overall totals.
Theresa May’s spokeswoman said the Prime Minister was “extremely proud”, adding: “We have had an fantastic fortnight and should be looking at ways we can reward the athletes”.
Meanwhile Whitehall sources indicated that most of the stars who have kept millions glued to their screens over the past few weeks will be recognised in the New Year’s Honours.
“The number of people who watched was nearly as high as the Open, which is marvellous”, he said.
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Before then the athletes can look forward to a huge victory parade in Manchester, before another celebration to be held in London in Autumn.
