How many Olympic golds did Team GB win in Rio and London and what’s the target for Tokyo 2020?
TEAM GB is sending a huge squad to Tokyo – the largest ever. But will the 376 strong team be able to deliver with medals? How many Olympic golds did Team GB win at London 2012? As hosts, Britain was looking to win big at the London 2012 Olympics. After the success of Beijing, where […]
TEAM GB is sending a huge squad to Tokyo – the largest ever.
But will the 376 strong team be able to deliver with medals?
How many Olympic golds did Team GB win at London 2012?
As hosts, Britain was looking to win big at the London 2012 Olympics.
After the success of Beijing, where the team finished fourth behind China, US and Russia, athletes were expected to deliver medals on home turf.
The tally of 19 golds, 13 silver and 19 bronze from 2008 was a huge target for London to beat.
UK Sport put the pressure of a target of 65 medals on the competitors – 18 more than Beijing.
The Games started on July 27, 2021, but it wasn’t until August 1 that Team GB won their first gold with Heather Stanning and Helen Glover in the coxless pairs rowing.
The haul was boosted with success in the Olympic Stadium on Super Saturday, August 4, as not one, not two, but THREE golds went to British athletes.
Jessica Ennis triumphed in the heptathlon, Greg Rutherford jumped to gold in the long jump and Mo Farah finished off the triumphant day with victory in the 10,000 metres.
Just as Team GB looked like they were going to fall short of 65 medals, Farah achieved the double with success in the 5,000 leaving Britain third in the medal table after the US and China.
Full list of the 29 London 2012 gold medallists:
- Helen Glover and Heather Stanning – Rowing: Women’s coxless pair
- Bradley Wiggins – Cycling: Men’s time trial
- Tim Baillie and Etienne Scott – Canoeing: Men’s slalom C-2
- Peter Wilson – Shooting: Men’s double trap
- Philip Hindes, Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny – Cycling: Men’s team sprint
- Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins – Rowing: Women’s double skulls
- Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Peter Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas – Cycling: Men’s team pursuit
- Victoria Pendleton – Cycling: Women’s kierin
- Alex Gregory, Tom James, Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs-Hodge – Rowing: Men’s coxless four
- Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking – Rowing: Women’s lightweight double skulls
- Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott – Cycling: Women’s team pursuit
- Jessica Ennis – Athletics: Women’s heptathlon
- Greg Rutherford – Athletics: Men’s long jump
- Mo Farah – Athletics: Men’s 10,000 metres
- Ben Ainslie – Sailing: Finn class
- Andy Murray – Tennis: Men’s singles
- Scott Brash, Peter Charles, Ben Maher and Nick Skelton – Equestrian: Team jumping
- Jason Kenny – Cycling: Men’s sprint
- Alistair Brownlee – Men’s triathlon
- Laura Bechtolsheimer, Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester – Equestrian: Team dressage
- Laura Trott – Cycling: Women’s omnium
- Chris Hoy – Cycling: Men’s keirin
- Charlotte Dujardin – Equestrian: Individual dressage
- Nicola Adams – Boxing: Women’s flyweight
- Jade Jones – Taekwando: Women’s 57 kg
- Ed McKeever – Canoeing: Men’s K-1 200 metres
- Mo Farah – Athletics: 5,000 metres
- Luke Campbell – Boxing: Men’s bantamweight
- Anthony Joshua – Boxing: Men’s super heavyweight
London 2012 medal total – Gold 29, Silver 17, Bronze 19
How many Olympic golds did Team GB win at Rio 2016?
Buoyed by the success of London 2012, Team GB went to Brazil with a lot of pressure on their backs to succeed once more.
Britain took a team of 366 sporting stars hoping to beat the 65 medals won on home soil.
And they did just that claiming second spot in the medal table, leaping over China.
This was due to the team scooping 27 gold medals, one more than third placed China, but two less than achieved in 2012.
Swimmer Adam Peaty led the way with gold in the pool on the third day, winning the 100 metres breaststroke in a world record time.
And Mo Farah did the double double, by reclaiming his titles in the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres.
But it was cycling once more where Team GB cleaned up with six golds.
Jason Kenny and his soon-to-be-wife Laura Trott won a total of five golds between them.
Britain’s total haul in Rio numbered 67 – two more than the total in 2012.
Full list of the 27 Rio 2016 gold medallists are:
- Adam Peaty – Swimming: Men’s 100 metres breaststroke
- Joe Clarke – Canoeing: Men’s K-1
- Jack Laugher and Chris Mears – Diving: Men’s 3m synchronsied springboard
- Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner – Cycling: Men’s team sprint
- Helen Glover and Heather Stanning – Rowing: Women’s coxless pair
- Alex Gregory, Constantine Louloudis, George Nash and Mohamed Sbihi – Rowing: Men’s coxless four
- Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Owain Doull and Bradley Wiggins – Cycling: Men’s team pursuit
- Paul Bennett, Scott Durant, Matt Gotrel, Matt Langridge, Tom Ransley, Pete Reed, William Satch, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Phelan Hill – Rowing: Men’s eight
- Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott – Cycling: Women’s team pursuit
- Mo Farah – Athletics: Men’s 10,000 metres
- Max Whitlock – Gymnastics: Men’s floor
- Justin Rose – Golf: Men’s individual
- Max Whitlock _ Gymnastics: Men’s pommel horse
- Jason Kenny – Cycling: Men’s sprint
- Andy Murray – Tennis: Men’s singles
- Charlotte Dujardin – Equestrian: Individual dressage
- Giles Scott – Sailing: Finn class
- Laura Trott – Cycling: Women’s omnium
- Jason Kenny – Cycling: Men’s kierin
- Alistair Brownlee – Men’s triathlon
- Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills – Sailing: Women’s 470
- Jade Jones – Taekwondo: Women’s 57 kg
- Nick Skelton – Equestrian: Individual jumping
- Women’s field hockey team
- Liam Heath – Canoeing: Men’s K-1 200 m
- Nicola Adams – Boxing: Women’s flyweight
- Mo Farah – Athletics: Men’s 5,000 metres
Rio 2016 medal total – Gold 27, Silver 23, Bronze 17
What is the gold medal target for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics?
Due to the coronavirus pandemic’s interruption to sporting activities in 2020 Sport UK has set a broad medal target for Team GB.
The organisation has targeted 45-70 medals in Tokyo.
However Team GB will be hoping to match the 27 golds won in Rio.
UK Sport chief executive Sally Mundy said: “Tokyo will be an extraordinary Games, and for us measuring success has evolved since Rio.
“Medals, of course, are a big part of that. But if we are to deliver on our new mission to create the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments… we know we’ve got to broaden our horizons.
TOKYO OLYMPICS
“And that’s why we are so excited not just about the medal potential of the team, but also the opportunity presented by the Games to showcase once again why Olympic and Paralympic sport means so much to the British public.”
The BBC shared statistics from leading entertainment data and technology company, Gracenote, predicting Team GB will come fifth in the Tokyo medal table.
Gracenote predicts 52 medals in total but only 14 golds.