Team GB leaders hail Paris medal haul despite low gold medal count | Paris 2024 Olympics

Great Britain’s performance at the Paris Olympics was incredible and should be celebrated, even though they dropped from fourth to seventh in the medals table in Tokyo. That was the optimistic message coming from Team GB after an extraordinary 16 days of action that ended on Sunday.

Although the British team won just 14 gold medals in Paris – the lowest number since Athens 2004 – senior officials stressed that the 65 medal tally was behind only the United States and China and should therefore be considered a success.

“We passed 1,000 Olympic medals at these Games, which was a huge moment, and 65 medals is our second-highest total ever on foreign soil, so it’s an incredible thing to celebrate,” said Andy Anson, chief executive of the British Olympic Association.

“In total, 131 of the 327 athletes will come back with medals around their necks, that’s 40% of the team, with more medals than in Tokyo. And we had 18 sports represented in the medal table, which is great.”

However, officials admitted that a combination of near misses, bad luck and a poor conversion rate of bronze and silver medals into golds played a role in the reduced number of gold medals overall.

“Adam Peaty got Covid while swimming and there’s nothing we can do about it,” Anson said. “Kate French had to pull out of the modern pentathlon on Sunday morning because of stomach problems. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

“And the one that hurt me the most, because I love the sport, was when Katie Archibald tripped in the garden and broke three bones in her ankle. Katie is probably the best female endurance cyclist in the world, and that kind of thing is part of history.”

British sports officials also point out that the British team missed out on eight gold medals by the narrowest of margins, including two in athletics thanks to Josh Kerr in the men’s 1,500m and Matt Hudson-Smith in the men’s 400m.

“What we normally see is a 30 per cent conversion of medals to gold, but we haven’t seen that here,” said UK Sport chair Katherine Grainger.

“We’re all going to review what went well and what didn’t go well. Where did we miss some conversions? Where did we have some positive surprises? But I’m very comfortable here looking at what the team did.”

Team GB chef de mission Mark England insisted last October that “the wheels would have to come off to not be in the top five”. But Anson insisted the wheels had not come off in Paris.

“I think it’s hard to feel that way,” he said.

“We won 65 medals, the same as in London. But you have to continually refine and see what can be improved to move forward. But there are so many things that go well when you win in 18 different sports. And we have to be happy about that.”

“It’s been a long time since we won on the first day, and since then we’ve won a medal every day of the Olympic Games.”

Athletics was one of Britain’s biggest successes, with 10 medals in total – the best tally since the Los Angeles Games in 1984. But the rowing team, which won eight medals, and cycling, with eight on the track, were not far behind.

Canoeing, diving and triathlon also performed well, but there was a feeling that sailing, boxing, taekwondo and modern pentathlon all performed below expectations.

“A first women’s diving medal since 1960, won by Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen, helped our divers break records at the Games,” Grainger said.

“And to round out the aquatics programme on Saturday with an extraordinary first medal in artistic swimming for Isabelle Thorpe and Kate Shortman was fitting.

“Some of our most established programmes also delivered once again. Cycling across all disciplines, athletics, equestrian and, after a tough Tokyo, Team GB rowers were back in phenomenal form here in Paris.

“Experienced athletes returning to the Olympics have won medals, including Alex Yee, Adam Peaty, Bryony Page, Joe Clarke and Helen Glover, and seen the emergence of extraordinary new talent, including Toby Roberts, Ellie Aldridge and Emma Finucane.”

UK Sport also insists that the £315m of government and National Lottery funding it has invested in 53 Olympic and Paralympic sports, with a further £70m channelled directly to 1,100 athletes in performance awards, represents excellent value for money.

The team spirit in Paris was excellent. This was demonstrated by the BOA offering all returning British athletes the chance to travel back on the Eurostar for the Closing Ceremony. 230 of the 327 athletes who accepted the offer accepted.