Thousands line streets for GB athletes’ parade

(Pictures from Channel 4)

Some 800 athletes travelled on 21 floats from the City to the Mall, grouped in alphabetical order by their sport. Team GB and ParalympicsGB finished third in the medals tables, surpassing the targets set for them.

In front of Buckingham Palace, Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to them and the thousands of volunteers, police officers and members of the armed forces who made the Games a success.

He thanked them “on behalf of the whole nation” for “a golden summer of British sport” and said their achievements would be “remembered in hundreds of years to come”.

The stars of the Olympics’ “Super Saturday” were on the first three floats. The first included Mo Farah, who won two golds in the 5,000 and 10,000m. He was followed by Jessica Ennis, winner of the heptathlon.

Team GB cyclists Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Laura Trott and Victoria Pendleton were in float seven, followed by double equestrian gold-medal winner Charlotte Dujardin, rowing champion Katherine Grainger, Ben Ainslie, Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor, and triathlon gold medallist Alistair Brownlee.

Paralympians, including Hannah Cockcroft, Jody Cundy, Sophie Christiansen, Jonnie Peacock and Ellie Simmonds, were also out in force, but were given time to recover after Sunday night’s closing ceremony.

A notable absentee was gold medal-winning cyclist Bradley Wiggins, who is taking part in the Tour of Britain.

‘Best ever’ Games

Mr Cameron called the London Games “the best ever”, saying they would be seen in the same light as England’s World Cup triumph on home soil in 1966.

He is sending a letter of thanks to every one of the thousands of volunteers who took part in London 2012. It says: “You have sent an incredible message about the warmth, friendliness and can-do spirit of the United Kingdom around the world. Quite simply, the Games couldn’t have happened without you.”

(Pictures from Channel 4)

Above the parade, British Airways led a flypast with the Red Arrows after receiving special permission to fly over The Mall.

The flame-coloured Firefly A319 aircraft, which was used to bring the Olympic Flame to the UK at the start of the Games, displayed a special “thank you” message on its underbelly.

Medal winners

The parade, which was organised by London Mayor Boris Johnson in conjunction with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association, included more than 90 per cent of Britain’s medal winners.

Members of the public watched the parade as it travelled along Queen Victoria Street and Cannon Street, passing St Paul’s Cathedral, continuing along Fleet Street, past Aldwych and into The Strand, before reaching Trafalgar Square.

(Pictures from Channel 4)

Spectators could view live televised footage at the base of Nelson’s Column. From there, the athletes made their way through Admiralty Arch to The Mall.

Most roads along the route shut at 11am, with some streets in the City closed to traffic at 6am.

Volunteers

An area from Admiralty Arch to the Queen Victoria Memorial was ticket-only and reserved for those who made “an invaluable contribution to the Games and the success of our athletes”, according to the Greater London Authority.

They included 14,000 volunteers, members of the blue light services, military personnel, Team GB and ParalympicsGB coaches and support staff, friends and family of the athletes and schoolchildren from every London borough.