Team GB's gold rush goes on

Aug 24 2008 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

THERE were celebrations in Beijing last night after Team GB claimed even more medals in its most successful Olympics for a century.

As the spectacle drew to a close, British athletes ended the penultimate day with another gold and two bronze medals.

And with one more Briton still to compete in the men’s marathon today, Britain is set to finish in fourth place in the medal table behind China, USA and Russia, having brought in a huge haul of 19 gold medals, 13 silver and 15 bronze to make a total of 47 medals.

Sports stars will join Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London Mayor Boris Johnson at today’s closing ceremony and official handover of the Olympic flag to London, as host of the next Games in 2012.

And the ceremony — which starts at 1pm our time and will be televised by BBC — will see a whole host of planned celebrations across the UK, including two symbolic roles for the North.

Veteran explorer Sir Chris Bonington, 74, is due to take a starring role this afternoon when he leads a group to scale Scafell Pike in Cumbria, where they will fly the Olympic handover flag.

Meanwhile, on Teesside, a second special Olympic Flag raising ceremony takes place at the Tees Barrage.

Gymnast Craig Heap, who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was twice gold medallist in the Commonwealth Games, will carry out the symbolic gesture at the White Water Course at 2pm.

London has an eight-minute slot in Beijing which involves rock legend Jimmy Page and singer Leona Lewis performing a new version of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, and David Beckham is expected to kick a football off the top of a red double decker bus.

Crowds will watch on screens from the 2012 party in the Mall, where gates open at midday.

Big screens are to be erected in 32 locations around the UK and a variety of musical performances are also planned.

The celebration will also link up with Notting Hill Carnival, while a mass dance workshop will take place in Portsmouth and the Halle orchestra will give a free outdoor performance in Manchester.

Meanwhile, Sunderland Olympian boxer Tony Jeffries is set for a hero’s welcome on his return to the region tomorrow (MON).

Supporters of the boxer, who lost 10-3 to Ireland’s Kenny Egan in yesterday’s semi-finals, were ecstatic with the former burger van worker’s bronze medal performance, not least of all his dad and manager Phil.

Phil said: "I’m still so proud of Tony . . . he’s done a fantastic job.

"He’s been fighting with a cracked rib, which was kept quiet until now, but that’s no excuse, the better man won at the end of the day and it’s as simple as that.

"Still, to be bringing a bronze medal home to Sunderland is a massive achievement. He’s a good lad and I’m over the moon with him."