12 Aug 2012

A great British summer – Team GB ends with 65 Olympic medals

A magnificent performance by Team GB sees them finish the Olympic Games with 29 gold medals, putting Britain third in London 2012’s overall standings

What a way to finish the games – the medals kept coming even on the last day.

Anthony Joshua takes the super-heavyweight boxing giving Team GB their last gold medal of the Games.

Even to the final hours the remarkable group of athletes called Team GB kept the medals rolling – Anthony Joshua became Olympic super heavyweight boxing champion, taking a gold medal after starting boxing only four years ago.

There were silvers medals for welterweight boxer Freddie Evans and Samantha Murray in the last event – the Modern Pentathlon – crowning the best British medal haul since London welcomed just twenty-one other countries for the Games of 1908.

Third place in the medal table, with 29 golds of 65 medals in all – ahead not just of Russia but Germany, France and many old rivals.

All Britain’s medallists – gold, silver, and bronze, took a perch today overlooking the Olympic park to be as one. It was ever so slightly unreal.

And on this judgement day team GB reflected on their Olympics. Who inspired them we asked? Well, they said it was you. Us. The great British public.

And the sporting highlights? Everyone has their favourite – moments small, big or simply massive.

Who wrote the script for the final night of athletics. Danny Boyle himself? Mo Farah’s long distance double hailed as one of the greatest achievements of a British athlete – ever.

And moments later – a world record for none other than the Jamaicans – and Usain Bolt who promptly mounted the podium with Farah.

From Bolt’s impromptu DJ set at an east London night club to a music video recorded by Team GB this last few days – the Olympics have drawn to a close.

But not without one last of an utterly compelling production – yes the very last event of the games – another medal for Team GB. Samantha Murray with silver in the Modern Pentathlon.

Mo Farah and Usain Bolt pay tribute to each other (Getty)