Team GB arrived back in the UK having tallied 67 medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, two more than they achieved during their home Games in London four years earlier.

In doing so, they became the first nation ever to better a home medal haul at the next Olympics, continuing their upward trajectory of increasing the number of medals won for five consecutive Games.

Bradley Wiggins became the most decorated British Olympian of all time by collecting his eighth medal in five Games, while Jason Kenny joined Chris Hoy on six career golds – the record for British athletes.

Team GB also won their first ever gymnastics gold medals when Max Whitlock took both the men’s floor and pommel horse titles, contributing to a record total of seven gymnastics medals.

Mo Farah defended both his 5,000 and 10,000 metres titles, becoming the most decorated British track and field athlete of all time in the process.

Ahead of the Games, no British woman had ever successfully defended an Olympic title, a feat that was achieved four times in Rio as Laura Trott (cycling), Charlotte Dujardin (dressage), Jade Jones (taekwondo) and Nicola Adams (boxing) all regained gold medals.

UK Sport had set the British team a target of 47 medals, a figure that was comfortably achieved, with only the rowing and modern pentathlon teams failing to return their targeted medal hauls.