Team GB Rio 2016 Olympic Review

Great Britian not only smashed their own medal target for the 2016 Olympics, but beat their 2012 final medal tally. Team GB also finished their highest ever in the medal table in 2nd, behind the USA. It was a games of history makers, but not only for Team GB. It seems that the cycling may have been the most successful for GB as every cycling athletes has returned with a medal – yes all 15 of them!

The gold rush started with Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke, as he also broke the world record on day two.

Other firsts include max Whitlocks gold medal in the men’s gymnastics on the floor, only to follow this 2 hours later with another gold medal performance in the pommel horse – the first GB double gold in a single day since 1932. Bryony Page took silver in the trampoline, our first medal in this sport since its introduction in the 2000 games in Sydney. Jack Laugher and Chris Mears secured Team GB’s first gold medal in diving with the 3m synchronised diving.

But there were many Olympic heroes emerging from the games. Jason Kenny (cycling) was the most successful Briton in Rio with 3 gold medals, totalling 6 golds (3 from London 2012). Will it be long before we are calling him Sir Kenny? Jason’s fiancé, Laura Trott became GB’s most successful female Olympian wnning 2 golds, taking her tally of golds to 4. Sir Bradley Wiggins is the first Briton to win 8 Olympic medals after the gold in the team pursuit.

Moving on to rowing, Katherine Grainger winning silver in the double skulls made her the first Team GB female to win medals at 5 consecutive Olympics. What an achievement to be at the top level of sport for such a long time. Mo Farah successfully defended his Olympic championships in both the 5000m and 10,000m on the track.

As one of the oldest athletes, Nick Skelton (58 years of age) became Olympic champion in the show jumping, 16 years after breaking his neck. He has never won an individual medal before, and is the oldest British Olympic champion since 1908.

Successful defending champions include Alistair Brownlee (triathlon), Charlotte Dujardin (individual dressage), Jade Jones (taekwondo), Andy Murray (singles tennis), Heather Standing and Heather Glover (rowing), and Nicola Adams (boxing).

So the question is what next for Team GB athletes? Hopefully a well deserved rest and recuperation, before embarking on their training for Tokyo 2020! Well done Team GB