Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics of medals won to 51. Great Britain finished 4th overall in the medal tables, a target previously set by UK Sport, the public body responsible for distributing funding to elite sport, for the 2012 Games. UK Sport considered whether to target 3rd place in the 2012 Games, which was hosted by the United Kingdom in London. Cyclist Chris Hoy became the first British athlete in 100 years to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. Because London was to be host city of the 2012 Summer Olympics, a British segment was performed during the closing ceremony. The following
Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Great Britain sent a delegation of around 400, of which 212 were athletes, to compete in eighteen sports at the Games. The team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom; athletes from Northern Ireland, who may elect to hold Irish citizenship under the pre-1999 article 2 of the Irish constitution, are able to be selected to represent either Great Britain or Ireland at the Paralympics. Additionally some British overseas territories compete separately from Britain in Paralympic