Team England’s record-breaking Commonwealth Games was celebrated at a reception at the Guildhall, London, last night.
At a reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Rt. Hon. Fiona Woolf, a number of Team England’s athletes, coaches and support staff were in attendance to celebrate the 58 gold, 59 silver and 57 bronze medals won at a history-making Games.
The Lord Mayor began the evening by congratulating the athletes in attendance, remarking that she was proud to be a part of Team England.
Sir Andrew Foster, who will step down from his role as chairman of Commonwealth Games England in December, took to the stage to reflect on how proud he was of the team in Glasgow, and of the contribution of the support staff and sponsors – a number of whom were also in attendance - who had made Team England’s journey possible. He added that everyone had combined to make the nation proud, with England playing a huge part in the overall success of the 2014 Games.
A Q&A was held with CGE President Dame Kelly Holmes, weightlifting gold medallist Zoe Smith, silver medallist hockey player Georgie Twigg, gold medal winning judoka Danny Williams and finalist in the women’s wheelchair racing Lauren Rowles, hosted by James Pearce. Dame Kelly spoke passionately, saying that she was ‘overwhelmed by the unity of the team.’
Chairman-designate Ian Metcalfe rounded off the evening in the Guildhall by sharing his memories of Glasgow having attended a number of days of the competition, but outlined that the future must see Commonwealth Games England progress and build upon its successes, with a huge challenge to come as the Games move to the Gold Coast in Australia.
Commonwealth Games England would like to thank the Lord Mayor and the Guildhall for their fantastic reception.