Team GB rose to the challenge
Team GB have finished the Paris Olympics with 65 medals in total, smashing the target set by UK sport ahead of the games.
They have taken home 14 golds, 22 silver and 29 bronze throughout the last 16 days of competition. Great Britain are the only nation to win a gold at every Olympics.
There has been some disappointment in these games, the Boxers secured just one medal through Lewis Richardson who picked up bronze, compared to the six they took home from Tokyo.
In the BMX events, Keiran Reilly claimed the only medal for Great Britain compared to the four won in Tokyo. Charlotte Worthington, Kai Whyte and Beth Shriever who all medalled in Tokyo failed to get on the podium this time.
Team GB faired better in the track cycling where they picked up eight medals compared to Tokyo where they won seven. There were less golds on this occasion, but it was billed as a changing of the guard for British Cycling as two of our most successful Olympians, Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny retired before these games.
21-year-old Emma Finucane shone in her first Olympics picking up two bronze in the Keirin and individual sprint and a brilliant gold in the women’s team sprint, she becomes the first female British track cyclist to win three medals at an Olympics.
As the rowing regatta concluded, Team GB ended the games with their best overseas medal tally. Eight of the 10 boats they took to France came back with a medal which is phenomenal compared to Tokyo where they only claimed two medals, none of which were gold.
Meanwhile, it has also been the best games for the diving team as well who have won five medals in eight events with Tom Daley winning silver at his fifth Olympic Games while China celebrated a clean sweep of the golds.
GB medalled in several events that they have never medalled in before; Toby Roberts claimed gold in the combined boulder and lead climbing event. The 19-year-old’s shocked reaction captured fans hearts across the world and signified a step forward for British climbing.
Similarly, childhood friends Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe claimed a historic first medal for GB in the artistic swimming after almost giving up following their 14th place finish in Tokyo. They claimed a silver medal following their artistic routine.
Poster girl of the games for Britain, Keely Hodgkinson delivered in the 800m, becoming just the 10th woman to win an athletics gold medal for Team GB. The last woman to win gold on the track was Dame Jessica Ennis Hill in 2012.
All five relay teams won a medal at the Stade de France which was a big success as it shows the progress of GB sprinting.
Before the Opening Ceremony got underway, Team GB had already set targets for their athletes.
The initial target was set between 50 and 70 medals in total and a top five finish in the medal table. Analysts Gracenote predicted a total of 63 medals, placing third or fourth in the medal table behind the United States, China and potentially hosts France.
Due to the number of golds won they fell to seventh on the medal table. It will be concerning to Team GB that the likes of the Netherlands finished above them but the Brits smashed their medal target, taking home a total of 65.
They will no doubt be measuring their success against their performance at previous Olympics.
In Tokyo, they won 64 medals finishing fourth in the medal table but whilst it was their lowest finish since 2008, Tokyo was Great Britain’s second-best overseas games behind Rio 2016.
In Rio, Team GB won 67 medals – 27 gold, 23 silver and 17 bronze and finished second in the medal table – a higher haul than at London 2012 where the hosts bagged 65 medals in total and finished third overall.
Though a slightly disappointing position on the final medal table, it has been a successful 16 days on the whole for a team that was full of youngsters. We can expect to see a number of these medallists in LA in four years time. The future is bright for Team GB.
