great_britain summer olympics northern_ireland competed great_britain summer olympics beijing china united_kingdom represented team selected athletes officially known britain competed modern summer olympic games delegation people included competitors men women officials team athletes united_kingdom including northern_ireland people elect hold irish citizenship able selected represent great_britain ireland olympics additionally british overseas territories compete separately britain olympic competition great_britain medal performance summer olympics best century performance summer olympics britain hosted london resulted gold medals awarded total medal count highest great_britain achieved games resulting medals great_britain finished 4th overall medal tables target previously set public body responsible distributing funding elite sport games sport considered target 3rd place games hosted united_kingdom london london host city summer olympics segment culture performed closing ceremony following british competitors won medals games dates august discipline sections names bold multiple following competitors won multiple medals olympic games targets june funding elite sport published expectations games identified potential medals target expected win including gold medals finish 8th overall medal table exceeded gold medal expectations august earned britain 13th gold medal men laser class minimum medal target medals passed august claimed 36th medal bronze women won total medal target took gold men claiming britain 41st physical medal medals guaranteed boxing time later exceeded total number targeted medals secured silver women modern noted medals claimed ones targeted falling short targets disciplines whilst exceeding seventeen disciplines met targets british example doubled medal target august won britain 12th cycling medal gold women sprint medals guaranteed stage men individual sprint gold silver soon won respectively won seven gold medals grabs swimmers managed double targeted number medals sport won team sixth swimming medal silver medal men open water marathon august despite men women teams having come second respectively world championships british unable win targeted medals led criticism tactics head coach members team world outdoor target championships great_britain men team placed second women team placed qualified nation send teams men women olympics men women athletics initial squad selected british team july final team confirmed outcome involving rules chambers banned future games testing positive appeal ban grounds unfair restraint trade failed omitted squad team included olympic medal winners olympic individual finalists women marathon world record holder faced battle fit games stress fracture left thigh eventually proved fit start race struggled finish 23rd position total medals won gold silver bronze performance director stood games team failure meet sport target winning medals ranks given track events athlete heat qualified round qualified round fastest loser field events position achieving qualifying target national record round applicable event bye athlete required compete round road events qualified team compete rounds field events combined events road events qualified team compete rounds field events combined events athlete finished second place ukraine tested positive banned substance tests positive stripped silver medal british moved position british players went games competing events win medals failing reach medal target set mixed doubles pairing won silver tournament progressed british athletes reaching boxing total qualified won bronze medals super heavyweight light heavyweight divisions respectively won gold medal class time great_britain won medal boxing single games best result great_britain boxing seven competitors joined events pairs added later complications spanish team medals won previously won bronze olympics sydney exceeded target set sprint qualification legend qualify semi final qualify directly final cycling cycling squad beijing totalled disciplines included reigning olympic track cycling champions plus medal winners reigning track world champions great_britain won fourteen cycling medals gold silver bronze total cycling medal table cycling team won team year award nominated team year track member squad fourteen win medal scotland successful olympic competitor win gold medals single olympic games success resulted commonwealth games glasgow named honour british woman win medal different olympic sports following silver medal quadruple rowing gold women individual pursuit debut appearance events olympics world champion finished medals crashing women final unbeaten year favourite win women title road win women road race provided olympic gold athlete wales road track mountain diving total divers individual diving events including year old european champion youngest athletes compete great_britain olympics men women equestrian total competed equestrian disciplines took place hong_kong reigning world champion granddaughter included squad horse sustained injury meant missed second successive olympics total scores average qualifying round freestyle final individual competition average individual round scores team competition indicates points count team total jumping august horses brazil germany ireland norway tested positive banned substance riders subsequently disqualified individual competition samples test positive brazil germany norway disqualified team competition great_britain 5th place fencing great_britain qualified fencing competition came allocation places governing body olympic fencing withdrawal men women field hockey men tournament great britain men team qualified men olympic field hockey tournament win game india final olympic qualifying event great_britain drawn olympic tournament based world rankings april having finished 3rd pool team went finish 5th overall beating south_korea 5th 6th place playoff scorer team goals team roster following british roster men field hockey tournament summer olympics head coach group play advanced semifinals classification match 5th 6th place women tournament team qualified women olympic field hockey tournament women nations championship great_britain drawn olympic tournament based world rankings having finished 3rd pool proceeded 5th 6th place classification match lost australia team scorer tournament goals team roster following british roster women field hockey tournament summer olympics head coach play advanced semifinals classification match 5th 6th place entered artistic events winning bronze medal men horse british win individual apparatus medal win individual medal won men medal originally chosen artistic slipped disc replaced reserve artistic finals result uneven bars final britain placed 4th called question documents found chinese age required compete time games investigation ages launched determine necessary standing changed 2nd giving silver medal half week investigation chinese athletes cleared original results allowed stand british competitor represented seven athletes events past stages competition medal match meaning team failed meet medal target set men women modern sent maximum competitors modern events beijing time team men competition rowing rowers qualifying introduced summer olympics crews fielded possible events making fourth biggest team medals won events meant topped rowing medal table medals won included gold successive games winning great_britain lightweight rowing olympic medal men lightweight double final medal final non medal final non medal final non medal final non medal final non medal semifinals semifinals final illness howard sailing great_britain entered crews sailing events games team finished sailing medal table medals won exceeding target set won gold medal successive games decorated british olympic sailor time men women open medal race eliminated advance medal race race cancelled course starting line shooting total competitors shooting disciplines olympics entered shotgun events rifle events men women swimming thirty seven athletes represented swimming events selection followed british olympic swimming trials sheffield april open water event swimmers selected performance world open water swimming championships spain winning medals gold silver bronze team target medals set successful swimmer won gold medals freestyle success britain olympic swimming title swimming gold british woman second gold freestyle meant best performance british woman sport summer olympics best swimming performance olympics years men rounds events decided time basis positions shown overall results versus competitors heats women rounds events decided time basis positions shown overall results versus competitors heats swimming represented athletes swimming competing duet event entered athletes competition beijing won medal olympic bronze women successful appeal british judges reversed result match granting points final round kick opponent head judges previously missed reversal decision video footage considered thought sport british hopeful unhappy judges losing bronze men tennis murray brothers sole tennis players qualified world ranking nominated doubles governing body world tennis total competitors selected events beijing men event women qualified olympic qualification rankings body responsible organizing official world championship series races qualified winning world championships british qualify games competed second olympic games battled injury finish 15th competitors event sports contested beijing british representatives participated qualifying tournaments number olympic sports lead games events outside athletes control prevent participation games baseball baseball team finished 2nd european baseball championship netherlands place olympic qualifying tournament taiwan lack funding forced team withdraw place taken germany football award summer olympics london brought question british participation football tournaments fore given traditionally single british national football team initially refused rule possibility entry unable come agreement european championship served european qualifying tournament men competition saw team reach semifinals meant place olympics olympics team representative entire england prevented taking place instead play taking place portugal italy similar situation occurred team virtue european sides world cup granted place olympics instead play denmark sweden media coverage main rights olympic coverage united_kingdom held bbc code sports listed designated events extensive range broadcasting options provide hours coverage time olympic coverage broadcast high definition bbc digital television viewers access streamed channels covering games whilst bbc website permitted british users view live streams variety events live broadcasts ran overnight day bbc bbc starting daily highlights programme games today broadcast bbc following close day events opening closing ceremonies anchored whilst general coverage anchored times day olympic contenders including gold provided analysis broadcast coverage games united_kingdom accordance code live events provided events broadcast bbc bbc choose radio coverage provided digital radio
Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics