KUALA LUMPUR: The British high commissioner to Malaysia has praised the London Olympics as being one of the best in history after the Games ended late Sunday.
"I believe this is one of the best Olympic Games and it was exciting to see the buzz around London for this Games," Simon Featherstone said at a press conference at his residence here yesterday.
He took pride in the fact the Games saw Team Great Britain (Team GB) record their best-ever medal tally in the Olympics since the 1908 summer Olympics.
"But, of course, back then, we contributed to almost half of the participating athletes because only 22 countries took part in the Games," he said.
Featherstone said he had thoroughly enjoyed the closing ceremony, after Team GB ended with 29 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals, totaling 65 medals.
He made special mention of American swimmer Michael Phelps, who became the most decorated Olympian of all time.
Phelps won four gold and two silver medals during the Olympics, after which he announced his retirement from the sport. They brought his total to 22 Olympic medals, 18 of them gold.
"Also, I would like to say it has been a very special Olympics for Malaysia, with the efforts of Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Pandelela Rinong," said Featherstone.
Chong Wei won silver in the badminton final, his second in two consecutive Games, and diver Pandelela became the first Malaysian woman Olympic medalist and the first non-shuttler to win a medal.
Featherstone said he would invite Chong Wei and Pandelela to rub shoulders with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during a tea party in conjunction with their visit to Malaysia next month.
