The curtain may have come down on what has been hailed as the 'greatest ever' Games, but the celebrations are far from over as fans across the globe came out in their thousands to welcome home their 2012 Olympic heroes.
From the Champs-Elysees in Paris to Piarco in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the world's sporting stars were met with incredible scenes as supporters in their home nations flooded airports and city streets to honour their athletes' achievements at the London Games.
Athletes disembarking from their flights from London were showered with petals, mobbed by autograph hunters, and - in the case of one teenage gold medal winner - presented with a new house and a cheque for $155,000.
When javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott was promised the cheque when he landed in Trinidad and Tobago, along with a luxury home and roughly 20,000 square feet of land near his hometown.
His proud home nation is even planning to name a lighthouse and a Caribbean Airlines plane after the 19-year-old champion.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar lavished Walcott with gifts and praise on Monday as thousands of fans dressed in the national colours of red, black and white arrived at Piarco International Airport to greet the young athlete.
Monday was named a national holiday in honour of Walcott, who won the Olympic javelin title with a throw of 277 feet and six inches. His victory represented Trinidad's first Olympic gold in a field event and only its second overall.
Other dignitaries from countries all over the world turned out to greet the returning athletes, including Algeria's sports minister Hachemi Dijar, who was there to greet the country's only medal winner 
Nasser al-Attiyah took bronze in the skeet men's final in the shooting at London 2012, while high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim also returned to Qatar decorated with a bronze medal.
Rio mayor Eduardo Paes waved the flag, which is emblazoned with the five Olympic rings, as he and other officials disembarked from their flight back from London.
'Rio is a city that spent the lion's share of its history, much more time than it should have, looking towards the past. I'm sure that this process of transformation, this turning toward the future, has been consolidated here.'By Kerry Mcdermott
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Experts are divided on the path to future Olympic glory, with one saying New Zealand can't afford to enter an international funding "arms race".
The man responsible for shaping Keshorn Walcott into an Olympic gold medallist, Cuban throws coach Ismael Lopez, says there is no limit to the heights the talented teenager can attain.
A truly memorable Olympic Games came to an end yesterday here in London, England, with T&T still celebrating its four medals—one gold and three bronze. Keshorn Walcott, in his debut, created the frenzy when he inspired T&T’s second-ever Olympic gold medal with a spectacular performance in the in the Men’s Javelin. Walcott’s tremendous feat later inspired the local 4x100 metres relay team of Richard Thompson, Keston Bledman, Emmanuel Callender and Marc Burns, to third place. It was also a special occasion for another debutant Lalonde Gordon, who picked up two bronze medals, first in the individual 400m, before combining with Jarrin Solomon, Deon Lendore and Ade Alleyne-Forte in the 4x400m relay final. T&T was not the only Caribbean country in a celebratory mode, as triple-gold medallist Usain Bolt led the Jamaican contingent which surely had a lot to cheer about, as well as Kirani James’ Grenada and Chris Brown’s Bahamas. Jamaica’s overall medal tally was 12—four gold, four silver and four bronze while James gave Grenada its first medal at the Games in the 400m, and Bahamas topped the 4x400m, a beautiful ending for the Caribbean.
The men's javelin gold won by Keshorn Walcott at the Olympic Games, here in London, England, combined with the three bronze medals secured on the track, earned Trinidad and Tobago joint 47th spot on the medal table, with Uzbekistan.