One million Brits pay tribute to Olympic and Paralympic heroes in London's biggest ever street party

Daily Mail ^ | 11th September 2012 | Laura Williamson

[the scotsman]

Sir Chris Hoy got a ‘little bit emotional’ once more on Monday as nearly a million people filled the streets of central London to salute Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic teams.

Mind you, the heady concoction of sport and success we have witnessed this summer has a habit of doing that to all of us.

Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford was ‘teary’ and David Weir - the apparent hard man who won four Paralympic gold medals - admitted he, too, had a ‘good cry’ after winning the T54 marathon on Sunday.

Monday's parade of athletes was our first chance to see Britain’s Olympians and Paralympians side by side, given the billing their performances have merited over the last six weeks.

It was about celebrating the achievement of ‘the best athletes that have ever put on a British vest’, saying ‘thank you’ for the 185 medals Britain won since July 29.

It was also an opportunity for the team to see ‘the joy on people’s faces’, as Hoy put it. But it was more like a mutual appreciation society as they thanked the flag-waving British public; the Games Makers, the ever-smiling volunteers who lined The Mall and the servicemen and women, police and security staff who had kept them safe.'

[Fresh Wind]

And yet we have the President of the United States on late night TV talking about his bowling skills...

“It was like the Special Olympics, or something.”

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

I wonder what this will do to unite the country (and all of its constituent nations with a sense of common Britishness? Despite my deepening cynicism, there is still a part of me that hopes the Union can be saved...

[the scotsman]

I am not saying that it will work miracles, but I think its a huge step in the right direction.

A British pride which has captured many people from Scotland, NI and Wales as well as England. And a pride which almost subconsciously has embraced multiracialism and a positive outlook to disabled athletes without an overly PC patronising order/message from on high to do so.

We cheered Mo and Jessica and others without caring or even honestly realising they were ethnic/part-ethnic Brits. We just cheered them because they won for us. We didnt and dont care what colour they were. We cared about their dedication, bravery, skill and above all modesty.

I think summer 2012 will neuter a lot of the nationalism. The likes of Fat Alex looked like idiots when they used phrases like Scotolympians, then you saw Hoy and Murray in tears when the UJ flew in celebration. And when Sir Chris publicly politely told Fat Alex to shut up about Scottish athletes.