Великобритания / Great Britain

Great Britain have attended every Olympic Games and won at least one gold medal at each appearance.

Weightlfter Launceston ELLIOT was the first Briton to win a gold medal.

The first female Olympic champion came from Britain. Charlotte COOPER won gold in the women's singles tennis at the Paris 1900 Olympic Games.

Britain have excelled in rowing. Steve REDGRAVE, later knighted by the Queen, is Britain's most successful Olympian. He won five gold medals in five appearances at the Games from 1984 to 2000. His long-time crewmate Matthew PINSENT won four gold medals.

Rowing has traditionally been a strong sport for Britain. Jack BERESFORD was the star of the inter-war years, winning three gold medals.

In sailing, Britain's tradition is equally proud. Rodney PATTISSON won successive gold medals in the flying dutchman class in 1968 and 1972, an achievement eclipsed by Ben AINSLIE, who won three successive gold medals in the new millennium.

Shirley ROBERTSON won back-to-back gold medals at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, a feat emulated by her Athens yngling crewmates Sarah WEBB and Sarah AYTON at Qingdao, venue for the 2008 Olympic Games sailing regatta.

Two Britons have won three gold medals at the same Olympic Games: swimmer Henry TAYLOR at the 1908 Games in London and cyclist Sir Chris Hoy at the Beijing 2008 Games. His career tally is four gold medals. Great Britain have enjoyed tremendous success in this sport since 2000.

Bradley WIGGINS has won three gold medals.

In athletics, notable champions have included Dame Kelly HOLMES, who won 800m and 1500m golds at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. London 2012 chairman Sebastian COE won 1500m gold at both the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games.

The chairman of the London 1948 organising committee, Lord BURGHLEY, was also an Olympic champion. His gold came over 400m hurdles in Amsterdam in 1928.

The exploits of Paris 1924 100m champion Harold ABRAHAMS and 400m winner Eric LIDDELL were the subject of the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire.

In team sports, Great Britain won gold in men's hockey in Seoul in 1988.

In earlier successful tournaments in London in 1908 and Antwerp in 1920, Great Britanis was represented by England. Football remains the No1 sport in the United Kingdom, and Great Britain, playing as England, won gold in 1908 and in Stockholm in 1912.

The last time the Games were held in London the team reached the semifinal. London is the first city to host the Olympic Games three times in the modern era. The city has also hosted IOC sessions in 1904, 1908, 1939 and 1948.

Birmingham hosted the only other IOC session in 1991. Great Britain has a rich Olympic heritage. The Dover “Olimpick” Games held in 1612 in Chipping Campden, and the Olympian Games, first held in Much Wenlock in 1850, are both still celebrated today.