Great Britains most successful overseas Olympic team have returned from Rio after landing at London Heathrow on Tuesday [23 August].
Team GB claimed a record-breaking 67 medals during the 16 days of competition, including 27 golds, and became the first nation to improve on their tally after hosting the previous Games.
The British Airways flight BA2016 contained 320 athletes and support staff as well as dozens of items of sporting equipment which included bicycles and javelins. Athletes were treated to a share of 77 bottles of champagne and a three-course menu on route to returning to British shores where they were given a heroes reception by hundreds of adoring fans and assembled press.
Mark England, Team GB chef de mission, said: The reception we have got since landing is overwhelming. Its given us an enormous sense of what we have done in Rio. As we entered the Games we had high hopes and there were a couple of targets put in there. It was incredible to witness 27 gold medals and beating China was a special moment for everyone in the team.
Double gymnastics gold medallist Max Whitlock and boxing champion Nicola Adams were the first two athletes to emerge from the Boeing 747, which had a gold nose cone and was emblazoned with victoRIOus livery, upon landing in the capital. The other athletes to travel back on the flight included the 12-strong track cycling team, each of whom won medals in Brazil.
Britain finished second in the medal table, ahead of China for the first time since they returned to the Games in 1984. They won gold medals across 15 sports, more than any other participating nation and bettered their tally from the last Olympics for a fifth Games in a row.
Several of GBs medallists documented their journey on social media, with victorious hockey captain Helen Richardson-Walsh, triathlon silver medallist Jonny Brownlee and Jack Laugher – a gold and silver medallist in the 3m springboard synchronised and individual events – all sharing the homecoming.
