Britain finished third overall in the medals table in Finland with 25 medals, including 10 gold.

 

 

They only missed out on second place to Germany, who also finished with 25 medals and 10 gold, by virtue of the fact that their rivals won more silver.

 

England said: “Team GB has every reason to feel proud of their exceptional achievements at the European Youth Olympic Festival this week.

 

"Our athletes have thrived under the pressure of competing against the best young athletes from 49 European nations.

"It is particularly pleasing to see the spread of medals won across different sports.

 

"Five of the six disciplines in which we were represented have contributed at least two medals, and the only exception, tennis, came within a whisker of a medal on an unfavourable clay court surface.
 

"There have been some notable individual accomplishments, not least from gymnast Sam Oldham and sprinter Jennifer Batten who both won double gold medals.

 

"This is the third EYOF in a row that Team GB has claimed third spot in the medal table and that represents consistent success at the very highest level. When you look at these performances, the future of Team GB is bright.

"Some of these athletes will make the transition to senior level in their sport relatively quickly.

 

"For others the journey will be more measured, but when you look at the opportunities ahead for these young athletes, with the inaugural Youth Olympic Games set to take place in Singapore next summer, London 2012 now only three years away, followed by the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, there has never been a more exciting time for British Olympic sport.

"It has been a fantastic week, both on and off the playing field, and all credit to the team managers, coaches and support staff who have worked extremely hard to allow the athletes to perform to the best of their abilities. I 'm very proud of the entire team.”
 

The EYOF baton has now been passed to Trabzon in Turkey where the next edition will take place in 2011, by which time Olympic fever should be nearing boiling point in the UK ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.