Video: Olympic and Paralympic athletes thank the cheering crowds Twenty-one floats carried the athletes from St. Paul's Cathedral to Buckingham Palace, where the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows aerobatic team staged a fly-past, leaving a trail of red, white and blue smoke over The Mall. British Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson were among those who turned out to salute Britain's sporting heroes. London staged two trouble-free Games that defied initial anxiety about security and inclement weather to provide a lift for the recession-hit nation. Britain finished third in the Olympic medal tables with 29 golds, 17 silvers and 19 bronzes, surpassing its 2008 Olympics performance. The Paralympic team also finished third, with 120 medals.