David Cameron paid tribute to Britain’s 2012 Olympic and Paralympic heroes at a lavish ceremony thrown by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Cameron thanked the gold-medal athletes for the country’s “incredible summer” of sport and stressed the importance of the Games’ legacy.
“I think people will look back and just think, ‘what an incredible summer’ — success after success, medal after medal and the whole country putting on its very best face for the world,” he told guests.
“What matters now is that we maximise the momentum and the legacy following the Olympics and Paralympics,” he added.
Cameron was joined by Olympians, Games organiser Sebastian Coe and royalty including the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Cambridge.
However, a number of high-profile champions such as cyclist Chris Hoy, double-gold-medal distance runner Mo Farah and heptathlete Jessica Ennis were missing due to other commitments.
Queen throws party for Olympic champions
