Team GB hoping to bring spirit of London 2012 to Paris Olympics this summer

20 February 2024 , 22:25

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Keeley Hodgkinson wins Silver for Team GB at the Women's 800m at Tokyo Olympic Stadium in 2020 (Image: Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

British athletes will go for gold at this summer’s Paris Olympics, aiming to recapture the winning spirit of London 2012.

The Mirror joined Team GB chef de mission Mark England yesterday for a tour of our training camp in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, around 12 miles west of the French capital.

Around 500,000 Games tickets have been sold to British fans, more than any nation apart from host France. Mr England said: “The athletes will have so many family and friends here, just like in London 2012. Our team has the opportunity to do something special. This is the closest we will get to a home Games. It is very exciting for everybody.”

A host of venues will sit near French landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower for beach volleyball and Palace of Versailles for equestrian events. In a twist, the opening ceremony will weave across Paris instead of being held in main venue the Stade de France.

Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England at the Team GB Training camp at Saint-Germain (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)

The 3.7-mile route includes a parade of athletes on the Seine and ends at the Trocadero next to the Eiffel Tower.

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Mr England added: “This will be an amazing and memorable Games. Our triathletes and marathon swimmers will be competing in the Seine. For fans back home, there will be wall-to-wall TV coverage. It will showcase all these places. We have world champions in our team. We do exceptionally well at the Olympics because we prioritise these Games. It will all come to a crescendo over 17 days this year.”

The new Team GB training ground (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)

This year, we are expected to have more women competing than men in a team of around 350 athletes. Britain’s track and field stars will use a new running track in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The site used to be the home of football team PSG.

In July, our fastest male and females runners Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes will call it home. The “Champagne capital” of Reims, 80 miles north west of Paris, will host swimming superstars Adam Peaty, Tom Dean and Duncan Scott.

Mirror man Jeremy Armstrong at the Trocadéro in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which is where the Games' opening ceremony is due to take place (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)

Team GB is aiming for a top-five finish in the medal table again. In Tokyo 2020, divers Tom Daley and Matthew scooped gold in the men’s synchronised 10 metre platform. Team GB also won the Mixed Relay Triathlon while Keeley Hodgkinson took silver in the women’s 800m.

Team GB is hoping to beat the Tokyo haul of 22 gold, 21 silver, and 22 bronze medals. That final tally of 65 matched the haul of London and was only two fewer than Rio (2016).

Jeremy Armstrong