Parade of the Heroes in Olympic and Paralympic

Thousands of fans gathered in London on Thursday to greet Britain's Olympians and Paralympians for a parade to celebrate their Beijing success.

After the 12-float procession travelled from Mansion House to Trafalgar Square, the Olympians ended their day by meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Cycling star Chris Hoy called the day "very special", while swimmer Rebecca Adlington said it had been "brilliant".

A Palace reception for the Paralympic stars will be held early in 2009.

Hoy, winner of three gold Olympic medals in the velodrome, added: "It's unbelievable and great to see so much positivity. It's the stuff of dreams."

Hoy and his fellow cyclists Victoria Pendleton, Rebecca Romero and Paralympic champions Sarah and Barney Storey, Rachel Morris and Simon Richardson were the first to arrive by Nelson's Column and were welcomed by the cheering fans.

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With all the athletes gathered in Trafalgar Square at the end of the procession, mayor of London Boris Johnson responded to criticism of the timing of the parade.

Johnson said: "There's never a wrong time to celebrate the greatest achievement by an Olympic and Paralympic team since 1908."

He added: "I hope there are kids watching today, saying 'that could be me in 2012'."

Olympics minister Tessa Jowell called the parade a "fitting tribute."

British Olympic Association chief executive Simon Clegg said: "To have this reception is fantastic. We have recognised that bringing all the athletes together has been very challenging."

Mark Hunter, gold medallist with Zac Purchase in the lightweight double sculls, was joined by 21 of his 24 team-mates who won medals in China, as well as 400m Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu and 400m hurdles bronze medallist Natasha Danvers.

Hunter said: "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Our success is everybody's success."

Adlington on life since Beijing

Lee Pearson, Paralympic dressage gold medallist, was on the sixth float with the rest of the equestrian teams, along with Sarah Stevenson, who won Britain's first taekwondo medal, and modern pentathlon silver medallist Heather Fell.

The successful sailing teams, including three-time Olympic winner Ben Ainslie, were on float seven, and boxing champion James DeGale following behind.

The ninth float held two of the Paralympic gold-medal winning boccia team, with Tim Brabants celebrating his canoeing gold and bronze on float 10.

Next up was Dave Roberts, who won four Paralympic swimming gold medals taking his tally to 11, along with 14-year-old diver Tom Daley.

Daley said: "I've had one day off since coming back from China and gone back to school. But today's just amazing."

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The final float contained swimming sensations Adlington and Britain's youngest Paralympic champion, 13-year-old Eleanor Simmonds, whose tearful celebrations in Beijing captured the nation's imagination.

Double gold medallist Adlington, Mansfield's most famous swimmer, is one of the favourites for the BBC Sport Personality award and joked that her two medals had been chipped because of all the attention.

She said: "All of the support is just brilliant. Everybody says swimming is boring, but hopefully the sport can be put right on the map now."

Following the activities in Trafalgar Square, over 500 Olympians, including those medallists in the procession and their support staff, spent just under three hours at Buckingham Palace.

The reception was held with the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal, who is president of the British Olympic Association.

Hoy said meeting the Queen for the third time was "fantastic", while Adlington admitted to being very nervous but said: "At least I can say that I have spoken to her and I will always remember it for the rest of my life."

Athletics star Ohuruogu said: "She is the most iconic figure in the UK and to have her spend a couple of minutes talking to you is fantastic. It is something that I will be able to tell my grandchildren."

Beijing performance 'Herculean' - Coe

London 2012 chief Lord Coe said the athletes' efforts in Beijing had been "herculean".

"It's been a great day for them and I'm sure many of the athletes are starting to realise just how excited we were back home," Coe told the BBC.

He added the mood in the Palace had been "very upbeat". "It's been a long day, but it's everything they deserve and has ended just as spectacularly for them."

Reflecting on London hosting the next Olympics and Paralympics, he added: "It will be a Games for everyone. The real challenge is getting all the kids here today into sport on a regular basis.

"Beijing gave us the most extraordinary platform for the next four years."

Team GB returned from China in August after their best Olympic medal haul in 100 years, finishing fourth in the medal table with 19 golds, 13 silvers and 15 bronze.

The ParalympicsGB team were Britain's most successful for two decades, winning 102 medals, including 42 golds, to finish second in the table behind the Chinese.

Sportswoman of Year in Gymnast is honored ‘Liukin’

NEW YORK -- NASTIA LIUKIN IS LIVING the dream of many an American teenage girl.
Sure, that Olympic gold medal was nice, but get this: She's set to appear on "Gossip Girl."
To the 18-year-old Liukin, a lifetime of preparation made her all-around gymnastics championship in Beijing the ultimate achievement. But she's learning there are some fun perks that come with her title.
Liukin was honored Tuesday as the Women's Sports Foundation's Individual Sportswoman of the Year. A week later, she'll film her part in the popular high school drama.
"It's just something that a bunch of my friends always watch, and so to be able to actually be on there, it's really cool," she said.
The TV show's producers happened to be sitting at a nearby table when Liukin recently ate at a Los Angeles restaurant. They sent over a note of congratulations; the next day, apparently knowing she was a fan, they contacted her management about a guest spot.
Originally, Liukin was going to appear as herself, but now it looks as though she'll play a fictional character.
"Honestly, I just wanted to meet the cast," she said, laughing.
The first time Liukin watched video of her greatest TV performance -- her gold medal-winning routines at the Olympics -- she teared up.
"Every time I watch it, even though it's only been a few months, it makes me miss competing already," she said.
She plans to resume training in January. What about defending her title in 2012?
"It's hard to say in terms of what I'll be doing," Liukin said. "It's not out of the question."
Liukin's teammate, all-around silver medalist Shawn Johnson, is more than two years younger and sounding more committed to trying to compete in London.
"Right now, definitely I'm looking towards it," she said Tuesday. "The Olympics is the best feeling ever; if I can get that feeling again, I'd be there in a heartbeat."
U.S. softball player Jessica Mendoza was honored as Team Sportswoman of the Year at the foundation's 29th Annual Salute to Women in Sports.
The WTA Tour earned the Billie Jean King Contribution Award for achieving equitable prize money at all the Grand Slams. Texas Tech thrower Patience Knight, who overcame cancer to become an All-American, won the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award.