Team GB back from Tokyo 2020
 

Been watching a number of videos showing the triumphant Team GB returning to LHR on BA. This being FT, naturally, was wondering how they were seated on the planes?

Is it - win Gold and you get seated in First; Silver and Bronze you’re assigned to Club World; and anyone who didn’t win would slum it out in World Traveller?

Bronze in WTP, anyone without a medal in the hold?

Actually depending on the plane maybe there's no F - can't see any for a quick tokyo to london search on ba.com. So CW for gold, WTP for silver and WT for bronze?

Not sure on the exact arrangements, but someone on Twitter commented that they were very upset/offended because the medal winners turned left while the others turned right.

Well I think that's fair. Be rewarded for doing well. I don't personally reward employees who are poor compared to employees who do very well.
It just does not make sense.

Photos on twitter yesterday showed Jason and Laura Kenney in an E-F pair in First with their Gold and Silver medals. Tom Daley in F too.. needed space for the knitting needles.

They would have been removed confiscated at security.

hmmm purely hypothetical: if someone improves from being 17th 5 yrs ago to 4th this time in some barely funded sport vs former gold medalist dropping to bronze despite all resources thrown in?

I'd like them to put Lauren Price in Y just to see what happens.

Can't speak for team GB, normally team USA flies on United but I flew black with the Gold Medal USA Women's Hockey Team from PyeongChang in 2018 on Singapore virtually immediately after closing ceremonies, and they were in coach, and scattered all about. I asked one of them why, and it was because it was a last minute booking, and they had brand new media appearances to make due to their winning gold.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b8f012eefa.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...646db91c38.jpg

Re Tom and his knitting needles: some countries expressly forbid carriage of knitting needles in hand luggage, I believe France is one. Others will only allow plastic or bamboo, require them to be sheathed and/ or may incur additional security. LGW and LHR seem to have no problem with taking them in hand luggage https://www.gatwickairport.com/faqs/security/
https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airp...ge-and-liquids
Tokyo airport may have different rules but my Japanese is very limited so can't check on the airport website!
TD was using circular needles in Tokyo which are primarily made of plastic - they would have been less of a security worry than a metal cutlery in First.

Many of them have been returning once their competitions are over. I have one of the sailing gold medal winners living very close by to where I live and they returned last week before the main flight in question.

More upgrade opportunities I'd have thought when there's only a hand full of athletes and support, coaches etc on any given flight. Especially on a route where travel is pretty space these days.

Hi,

I think it was a requirement by the organising committee that the athletes had to leave the olympic village within 2 days of the competion ending which explains them returning to the uk over a number of days and why some flags at the closing ceremony were carried by volunteers.

Regard

TBS

I don't know about exact seating arrangements, but I think the seating would be quite sparse, especially since the organizers required that those athletes that had finished their games should return within 48h after the competition ended.

Also just a while a moment ago I saw on telly Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE's sport news did show some footage from the plane that brought back ROC athletes to Moscow and there seemed to roughly one person per row. And if anybody wonders why YLE did show how the Russians returned, the reason is that their men's volley ball team, which took the silver from Tokyo, is coached by a Finn.

good on them for getting something out of it!

the new york times had an article about how A United States medalist receives $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze.

UK winners receive nothing. well except a nice plane seat home perhaps! and yes they were required to depart no later than 2 days after their competitions were complete bc covid.


i was bummed when i flew LHR-EDI last month as there were a number of Team GB in the GFL that evening and i kept my eyes open for tom and matty...but turns out they flew the next evening instead. the whole area in the GFL where the coffee machines/ticketing desk/toilet area was blocked for team gb.

I know the archers. They all came back one by one 48 hours after they finished competing.... in Y.

Tom could always have borrowed a couple of arrows for doing his knitting!