The victoRIOus aircraft carryied a haul of 92 medals on board which weigh a total of 7.2 stone (46kg), alongside 320 athletes and support staff.
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“We have had an awesome fortnight at the Rio Olympics and we should be looking at the differing ways that we can recognise and reward the athletes for all they have achieved, and honours are there to recognise and reward people”, Ms May’s spokeswoman said.
Hockey champ Lily Owsley tweeted: “Champers and the national anthem out.we’re going back to our fave nation”.
Team GB won 67 medals – 27 golds – and finished second in the table behind the USA.
Members of the GB squad form a group as they arrive at London’s Heathrow Airport, Tuesday Aug. 23, 2016, on their return from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
This almost doubles the second place team’s count of 70 total medals, which goes to China.
Team GB’s athletes have arrived back in the United Kingdom following their best Olympics in more than a century.
On the final day of the Rio OIympics it’s time for some reflections on what has been a golden global showcase for Team GB.
The city’s English Institute of Sport, where the likes of gold medal-winning boxer Nicola Adams and Sheffield’s own Jessica Ennis-Hill trained before the Rio Games, is part of ten high-performance centres across the country which supported nearly every British athlete who ended up on the podium.
The athletes are due to land at London’s Heathrow just before 10am with a press conference taking place shortly afterwards.
Commenting on whether this had been the greatest British sporting achievement in people’s lifetimes, Grainger said she felt the timing had been right, especially given recent political turmoil.
The Duke and Duchess, meanwhile, lauded the athlete’s achievement as an “inspiration to us all, young and old”.
Team GB also won gold medals in 16 different sports during the Games – a wider range than any other nation.
About $413 million was spent for the London 2012 Games where Team GB won 65 medals including 29 gold.
Among the breakout stars of the 2016 Games in Brazil were three-times gold medallist Jason Kenny, who matched Sir Chris Hoy’s record six golds with his efforts in the velodrome.
“So the competition will be even more intense, but we have an incredibly talented team and we have already gone five consecutive Olympics with medal growth, which no one has ever come close to before”.
“I think when we arrived just an hour or so ago it was overwhelming the reception that we got, not just from British Airways but also everyone who is in Terminal 5”.
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According to reports, there will be a victory parade in Manchester and another celebratory event in London later.
