All The Most Tear-Jerking Team GB Moments From The 2024 Games In Paris

It’s been quite the medal rush for Team GB at the Paris Olympics. There have naturally been smiles and cheers from the British athletes, but we’ve also seen our fair share of tears – showcasing a mixture of joy, disbelief, disappointment… even the dawning realisation of a stellar career drawing to a close (sad faces all round for Andy Murray). There have been displays of overwhelming pride from the sidelines (looking at you, Fred Sirieix of First Dates fame), and even BBC presenters like Rebecca Adlington and Tonia Couch have struggled to contain their emotions at points.

Here, we look at some of the most moving moments from the Games so far. We’re not crying… you’re crying.

Teen skateboarding star Sky Brown wins her second Olympic medal

Her 2024 Olympics hopes could have been dashed when she dislocated her shoulder days ago, but skateboarder Sky Brown shrugged off her injury to claim her second Olympic bronze (and she’s still only 16).

Keely Hodgkinson takes gold

Team GB’s Keely Hodgkinson surged to victory in the women’s 800m final in Paris, becoming only the 10th British woman to win athletics gold at the Games. There were happy tears all round as the 22-year-old star was presented with her gold medal.

Fred Sirieix consoles his Team GB diver daughter

No one cheered harder than First Dates presenter Fred Sirieix when his daughter, Andrea, and her diving partner Lois Toulson took bronze medals in Paris (scroll down for a reminder). But the proud dad’s efforts to console a tearful Andrea when she finished sixth in the individual 10m diving event were even more moving.

Team GB land their first medal on the opening day

Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen not only grabbed Great Britain’s first medal, they also became Team GB’s first female diving medallists in 64 years when they took bronze in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard event on day one of the games. In a dramatic finish – where the GB women had all but resigned themselves to a fourth place finish – an unexpected mistake from the Australian team won Great Britain the bronze medal. Cameras zoomed in on the shocked British pair as an overwhelmed Harper – who hadn’t been sure she’d even make the 2024 Games after a back injury – sobbed as it hit her that she is an Olympic medalist.

Rower Lola Anderson’s recalls how her late dad kept her Olympic dream alive

One of the most moving interviews of the Games so far came when GB rower Lola Anderson broke down while telling the story of a note that her late father had given her. The athlete was just 14 when she wrote down her dream of rowing for Great Britain and winning a gold medal. “I threw that away because I didn’t believe,” she said. What she didn’t know at the time was that her father Don, also a rower, had found the note and saved it. He gave it back to her seven years later in 2019, shortly before he died. Anderson broke down as she told interviewers the moving story, minutes after winning the gold medal she’d dreamt of in the women’s quadruple sculls.

Adam Peaty’s mega comeback

It’s been quite the journey to Paris for Adam Peaty, one of the word’s most decorated swimmers and one of the biggest names at the Olympics. The world record holder, who took gold at the Tokyo Games, has been open about his battles with mental health issues and alcohol abuse since that win. The road to 2024 has seen him sustain injury, experience a relationship breakdown and battle to return to form. Peaty ultimately took silver in the 100m breaststroke, missing out on gold by 0.02 seconds. But, as he said in his post-race interview, his tears were not tears of sadness. “I’m not crying because I’ve come second, I’m crying because it just took so much to get here.” Peaty was seen in tears again when he went over to his family and embraced his son, George.

First Dates Fred watches his daughter win an Olympic medal

There were plenty of tears from Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, who won the women’s synchronised 10m platform bronze with diving partner Lois Toulson. The 19-year-old cried as she realised they had snatched the medal from the Canadians in a tense end to the competition, and the tears were back when she took to the podium. But what really pulled at the heartstrings was seeing proud dad Fred Sirieix, lovable host of Channel 4’s First Dates, cheering for his daughter and welling up in the audience, before gatecrashing her post-race interview for a big hug.

Diver Noah Williams is comforted by Tom Daley

There were more tears at the diving at the men’s synchronised 10m platform event, where Tom Daley and parter Noah Williams took silver. Williams broke down during an interview as he discussed his former coach Dave Jenkins, who passed away after the Tokyo Olympics. He was comforted with an embrace from Daley, who took over the interview while Williams struggled to compose himself. Daley talked about how proud Jenkins would be of Williams, and also referenced his own loss – the death of his father Rob Daley in 2011. The tears, the stories of personal loss, and Daley stepping in to look after his friend was equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Beth Potter’s story of starting from scratch

The former 1,000m runner, Beth Potter, decided to change things up after finishing 34th in the Rio Olympics in 2016, and took up triathlon instead the following year. She gave up her day job in teaching, moved from her home in Scotland to Leeds to train with triathlon legends the Brownlee brothers, and even had to learn how to ride a bike. Fast forward seven years, and all the sacrifices have paid off, as Potter picked up the bronze medal in the triathlon event in Paris. Tears came as she crossed the finish line and again when she spoke to reporters, telling them: “It’s been hard work. I had to learn how to ride a bike and pick up swimming again. I’ve come a long way and it’s been an absolute rollercoaster, but it’s been amazing.”

Adam Burgess achieves his childhood dream

One of the most enjoyable celebrations to watch was the huge surprise and joy on the face of canoeist Adam Burgess as he crossed the finish line in his men’s slalom C-1 event and spotted his huge score. The silver medalist knew he was guaranteed a spot on the podium, and the surprised expression turned to sobs of joy as he met up with his team. The emotion showed through once again when he told reporters that he’s dreamed of an Olympic medal since he was 10 years old. “I just wanted to do that kid proud,” he said.

Britain’s best tennis player bids farewell to the game

Not all the tears from Team GB have come alongside victory laps: watching athletes who have put in years of work just miss out on achieving their goals never fails to tug at the heartstrings. Emma Reid sobbing when she was disqualified from the Judo after scoring three penalties was a hard watch, as was former Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Worthington looking distraught when she failed to make the women’s BMX freestyle final. And there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Andy Murray bowed out of the men’s doubles, knowing that it was the last professional tennis match of his incredible career. Murray, who has won Olympic gold twice, let his emotions flow as he waved goodbye to fans, many of whom were also crying. His doubles partner Dan Evans struggled to hold back tears, as did presenter Clare Balding as she led the nation in bidding farewell to Britain’s best ever tennis player.