Rio 2016 success sees Great Britain named as best Olympic team

Team GB are the big winners at the Association of National Olympic Committees awards in Doha, coming away with the Olympic Team of the Year award

Great Britain has been named as the world’s best Olympic team, having achieved record-breaking success at the Rio 2016 Games in which we became the first nation to win more medals at a Games immediately after hosting.

Team GB came away from Rio with 67 medals – surpassing the 65 won at London 2012 – including three golds and two silvers from the rowing team, who topped the medal table at the Olympic regatta. The award of best team was handed out by the Association of National Olympic Committees at a ceremony in Doha.

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover defended their women’s pair title, as did the men’s coxless four – extending the gold streak to five Games. The men’s eight was also on top of the podium, with the women’s eight and the women’s double sculls winning silver.

Many of Great Britain’s rowing stars are already back in training at the GB Rowing Team’s base in Caversham, Berkshire, with the path to Tokyo 2020 well underway. Assessments for the elite squad are taking place over the winter and into the New Year.

Team GB’s women’s hockey team, who won a historic and memorable gold in the summer, were named the best female team of Rio 2016 at the awards.

British Olympic Association chief executive Bill Sweeney said: “It’s a fantastic achievement for both the women’s hockey team and the whole of the British Olympic Association. We’ve had an incredible year.”