Prince William teamed up with his grandmother the Queen on Thursday night to host a special reception for Britain's Olympic athletes. The event was staged to thank the team in charge of London's bid to host the 2012 Games.
Dressed in a dark blue suit, Wills looked relaxed and confident as he greeted some of the UK's most accomplished athletes. Five-time gold medallist Steve Redgrave was among those he chatted with in Buckingham Palace's State Dining Room.
The Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne were also in attendance, along with Lord Coe, who is himself an Olympic gold medallist.
“It is a fantastic honour and a great tribute to the London 2012 team," said the former athlete, who has twice won the 1,500-metre event. “We made the candidate city list in May, and a lot of things have happened since then, but it’s fantastic for the whole team to be given the recognition they are being given tonight. It is very important for morale and motivation. We have a long, long road ahead of us.”
London is competing with Paris, Madrid, New York and Moscow to host the 2012 games. But it will be some time before they know whether their efforts have been successful, because the International Olympic Committee does not have to give a decision until July next year. |
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