Big welcome - and a warning

13 April 2012

Britain's golden Olympians arrived home today to receive the grateful thanks of a nation surprised and delighted by their success in Sydney.

Heathrow has staged many happy homecomings but few can have been as euphoric as this one.

More than 300 athletes, coaches and back-up crew were on the BA flight, which touched down at around 6am and, despite the earliness of the hour, a crowd of at least 200 fans was waiting in the arrivals hall of Terminal Four to greet them.

When the team members emerged through customs they were caught up in a crush of family and friends as bottles of champagne and bouquets of flowers were thrust into their hands.

Steve Redgrave, who won his fifth gold medal at the Games, held his children aloft while members of his Leander Rowing Club brandished two oars displaying the club banner.

The hall was packed with mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters as they admired the gold, silver and bronze around the necks of their loved ones; the happy culmination to years of early mornings, dedicated and sometimes agonising training and family sacrifices.

Many of the waiting throng were waving flags, some were draped in Union flags.

Everyone wanted to say "Thank you" to the men and women who had contributed to the collection of 28 medals (11 gold, 10 silver and seven bronze), Britain's biggest Olympic haul for 80 years.

First through the door to attend a special press conference at Terminal Four was super-heavyweight boxing gold medallist Audley Harrison, followed by heptathlon winner Denise Lewis and modern pentathlon golden girl Stephanie Cook.

In the room, with the exception of a few team members like triple jump gold medal-list Jonathan Edwards, who had either returned home early or stayed in Australia for a few extra days, was the most successful collection of athletes Britain has produced since 1920. The smiles were irrepressible, the medals glinted and Harrison's grin appeared wider than ever.

He said: "This was my first Olympics and the people back home maybe weren't expecting too many results after what happened in Atlanta. It's a great feeling.

"Great Britain can feel on top of the world. The athletes here have done their country proud. Britain is definitely great again, and it's a great feeling to be part of it."

Many of the medallists had a simple message for the Government: make sure you keep funding British athletics to ensure a repeat triumph in Athens in 2004.

Matthew Pinsent, who with Red-grave won gold in the coxless fours, said: "We got Lottery money on board and you can see the massive success we've had. We should not send an Olympic team anywhere from now on that's not properly funded."

Showing the spirit of togetherness that exemplified Sydney 2000, the medallists asked that no one forget the personal achievements of those that did not come home with medals.

Kelly Holmes, who won bronze in the 800m, said: "The team as a whole have been outstanding with lots of fantastic performances and personal bests."

Harrison was the last man to win gold before the team embarked on their 23-hour journey back from Sydney but he will be the first in the queue when the cheques are being handed out as he pursues a professional career.

Estimates of the 28-year-old's earning power have been placed at upwards of £60 million. When told of the figure this morning, the majority of his British team-mates put in a request for a beer.

But Harrison refused to be deflected from his desire to toast the whole squad. "As far as I am concerned, I'm still an amateur and part of the Olympic movement," he said. "I know that there is potential for me to earn lots of money. But this has not been about money. It is about achieving my goals."

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Big welcome - and a warning

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