Great Britain Second In Medal Table As Rio Olympics Come To An End

Great Britain Second In Medal Table As Rio Olympics Come To An End

Team GB have finished second at the Rio Games, achieving their biggest Olympic medal haul for more than a century.

Great Britain smashed their target of 48 to make Rio 2016 Britain's best ever "away" Games, ending up with 67 medals - two more than London's remarkable haul four years ago.

The success of athletes including Mo Farah, Nicola Adams, Jason Kenny and Laura Trott spurred the nation on to a winning streak throughout the Games.

Team GB have collected 27 gold, 23 silver and 17 bronze medals, finishing above China in the medals table.

Boxer Joe Joyce missed out on gold in the men's super heavyweight final on Sunday, taking second place on the podium.

Hockey gold medallist Kate Richardson-Walsh was named as Great Britain's flag bearer for the closing ceremony.

Richardson-Walsh and wife Helen became the first same-sex married couple to win an Olympic gold in the same final in the historic victory over the Netherlands.

On a spectacular penultimate night, Mo Farah scooped the "double double" of gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres in both London and Rio

Farah – who celebrated his win with his trademark Mobot – said the accomplishment was "every athlete's dream" as he dedicated each of the four medals to his children.

The athletes' have been hailed for an "outstanding performance" and the Prime Minister pledged to continue supporting British sport.

Theresa May, who said she had been watching the Games when she could, paid tribute to the "determination, dignity and true sportsmanship" of Team GB.

She said: "They haven't just made history; by showing just how far talent and hard work can take you, they have inspired the next generation. They have also shown the importance of supporting elite sport, and that is something this Government remains wholly committed to."

And Bill Sweeney, chief executive of the British Olympic Association said: "The whole team has worked incredibly hard to give our athletes the best possible platform to perform, from our prep camp in Belo Horizonte and sites around Rio to the work that Mark England and his team did in the village to make that a real home from home for the team."

He said the success was down to two decades of hard work and investment in British sport.

"It has been a brilliant Games but this is not an overnight success," he said.

"Thanks to the contribution of the National Lottery players via UK Sport and their investment, this is 20 years in the making and we've now enjoyed five successive Games of medal growth. No one has come close to that and it's an unbelievable achievement."

Team GB's chef de mission Mark England described the accomplishment as "quite simply one of the finest British sporting achievements to date".

He added: "To follow on from London 2012 and the home comforts that came with hosting a Games and out-perform ourselves here is a piece of history that the nation can be hugely proud of."

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