Top 5 moments in Team GB Olympic history

With the Tokyo Olympics 2021 soon to end this weekend, the Pickstar team have decided to look back on some of the greatest Team GB Olympic Performances in the nation’s long history of sporting success.

Here are our top five:

Mo Farah made history at the London 2012 Olympics by completing the distance double, winning Olympic gold medals in both the 5,000 metre and 10,000 metre. This was Great Britain's first Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m and made him the first British man since Albert Hill in 1924 to win two Olympic track and field titles at the same Games.

Following this, he was the first person in history to defend both distance titles at successive Olympics and World Championships, a feat described as the 'quadruple-double'.

Derek Redmond’s performance at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics made news worldwide. The British runner was favored to medal in the 400m but during the race he tore his hamstring forcing him to collapse onto the track. What he did next gained him global attention as Redmond continued to finish the race. Limping his way to the finish line, his father pushed through officials and security to be by his son’s side and helped him continue whilst the audience of 65,000 people cheered him on with a standing ovation.

This story has continued to inspire those around the world as a symbol of resilience and strength. The event was a subject of the International Olympic Committee's "Celebrate Humanity" videos, which proclaimed: "Strength is measured in pounds. Speed is measured in seconds. Courage? You can't measure courage".

Chris Hoy made history at the London 2012 Olympics, accepting his sixth gold medal to become Britain's most decorated Olympian at the time. He led Team Great Britain at the Olympic stadium Opening Ceremony as the flag bearer, proving his contribution in the competition later. Hoy took gold in the team sprint, gaining two world records along the way, and closed his Olympic career with gold in the keirin, overtaking rowing idol Sir Steve Redgrave as Britain’s greatest Olympian.

Of the near 60 professional keirin races he has entered he has crashed just once, finished second four times and won all of the others.

Matthew Pinset and Steve Redgrave combined their successes to win Britain's only gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. The duo won the men’s coxless pair at both Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 before claiming a third successive gold four years later in the coxless fours at the Sydney 2000 Games. The pair won nine Olympic gold medals between them with Redgrave winning five and Pinset four. Redgrave is the only British Olympian to win a gold medal in five consecutive Olympic Games, making him the most successful male rower in Olympic history.

The impact the pair have had on the British and rowing community is massive. Both have been knighted and have a rowing lake in the United Kingdom named after them being the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake.

Kelly Holmes became a household name from her outstanding performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics. As a track athlete, Holmes tried her luck in the 800m and 1500m races. She won the women’s 800m making her the first Briton to win an Olympic 800m title in 24 years. As she does not commonly run this race competitively she recalls the event saying “I didn’t realise I had won and had to see the replay twice to be sure. I saw the line coming and I fought for it. I held on for dear life”. Holmes continued to win the women’s 1500m, earning her a double gold.

Holmes was the first British woman to win the double gold of 800m and 1500m and the third woman in history. Along with this, it also made her the seventh British track and field woman to be crowned Olympic champion

Jessica Ennis-Hill - 2012 London Olympics

Daley Thompson - 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

Linford Christie - 1992 Barcelona Olympics

Great Britain men's hockey team - 1988 Seoul Olympics

Sally Gunnell - 1992 Barcelona Olympics

Sebastion Coe vs Steve Ovett - Moscow 1980