Mayor salutes GB 'heroes'
London Mayor Boris Johnson paid tribute to Great Britain's "national heroes" during the victory parade of Olympic and Paralympic stars.
Thousands gathered in the streets of London to show their appreciation for the team's success at the Beijing Games.
Mayor Johnson said: "It is a great honour and a thrill to stand in the shadow of Nelson and congratulate our current crop of national heroes, who did battle proudly and successfully in Beijing over the summer."
He added: "Our athletes at this summer's Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are an inspiration to all of us and it is right that we salute them as we prepare to host the next Games in this wonderful city of ours.
"I wish them well as they prepare for that challenge and encourage everyone else to support them and draw inspiration from their success."
Lord Coe, who won Olympic gold twice himself as an athlete, hopes Team GB's exploits in Beijing can act as a springboard for London 2012, of which he is the organising committee's chairman.
"The British success in China was exactly what the nation needed and I look forward to being part of the event and thanking those athletes for a wonderful summer," Lord Coe said.
"The success of the team and the reaction of the British public this summer will be multiplied many times over in 2012 - I know the country will be transfixed by the London Games and I am sure that the athletes involved here will be firmly focused on the task ahead and the road to 2012.
"Equally, those who didn't quite make it to the Games this summer will be redoubling their efforts to reach the pinnacle of their sport - appearing at an Olympic Games or Paralympic Games in their home country in four years' time."
