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By Kate Campbell-Payne on

Heroes at the museum Pt. 2: Team GB parade

On Monday 17 October, Olympians and Paralympians from Team GB brightened Manchester in a spectacular parade that started right here at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Picture of Team GB medallists at the Museum of Science and Industry
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

In the heat of Rio, Team GB’s Olympians and Paralympians did us proud, winning 214 medals over both games. We were thrilled to have all of these amazing athletes come to the museum, and only two days after we’d welcomed another British hero, astronaut Major Tim Peake. It was a great atmosphere, with everyone mingling, enjoying the museum, and seeing friends from other sports in Team GB.

Manchester holds a special place for many of the athletes, especially the cycling teams, whose home is the Manchester Velodrome, and the Paralympic swim team, who train at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Oxford Road. Out of the cyclists, we spotted Joanna Rowsell-Shand from the Women’s Team Pursuit and Callum Skinner from the Men’s Team Sprint – both gold medal winners. There was also swimmers Ellie Simmonds, Ellie Robinson, and Dame Sarah Storey, who won her 14th gold at Rio, becoming the most successful British Paralympian of the modern era.

 

Picture of Olympic gold medallist cyclist Joanna Rowsell-Shand and MSI Director Sally MacDonald
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

Picture of Ellie Simmonds and Ellie Robinson outside the Museum of Science and Industry
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

Other top sightings included triathlon gold and silver medalists the Brownlee brothers; Max Whitlock, who won Britain’s first ever gold in men’s gymnastics; Paralympian Kadeena Cox, who won medals for both athletics and cycling; gold winning boxer Nicola Adams; showjumping legend Nick Skelton; and the nation’s favourite, Jessica Ennis-Hill. We even had a visit from CBBC’s Hacker T. Dog!

 

Picture of Olympic gold medallist boxer Nicola Adams with MSI Director Sally MacDonald
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

Picture of Olympic gold medallist Nick Skelton with MSI Press and PR Manager Kat Dibbits
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

Picture of Olympic medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill at the Museum of Science and Industry
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

Picture of Team GB medallist with Hacker T. Dog
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

The parade was a fantastic opportunity for people from across the North to celebrate the team’s successes and to keep a little bit of that Olympic fever going, despite the rain (it wouldn’t be Manchester without it!). For the athletes, it was a chance to see how much their hard work and dedication means to us, and to enjoy a bit of partying before they get back to that training.

Roll on Tokyo 2020!

 

Picture of two Team GB medallists
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

Picture of Ellie Simmonds and Ellie Robinson outside the Museum of Science and Industry
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

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Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

 

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Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

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