By Simon Stone, PA Chief Sports Reporter

The frame was familiar, the haircut similar. "Audley, Audley," they cried.

But the giant, stocky character being hailed by the multitude of well-wishers who turned up to greet Britain's triumphant Olympians off British Airways flight 016 at Heathrow Airport this morning was not the new super-heavyweight gold medalist, merely a bemused passenger stumbling into the biggest reception party of his life.

The man himself was in a side room, taking centre stage as the gaggle of medalists reflected on their success.

If, after a 24-hour flight and dazed by jetlag, any of Britain's assorted sporting stars failed to appreciate the magnitude of their achievements, it was rammed home to them at a 6am photocall, where the blistering force of flashbulbs was matched only by the glimmering reflection of the medals each wore round their necks.

Steve Redgrave has, of course, been through it all four times before. Yet Britain's greatest Olympian still appeared slightly mesmerised by the attention.

Stephanie Cook has not. But the first women's Olympic modern pentathlon winner smiled her way through the quickfire questioning in a manner which put most Premiership footballers to shame.

Maybe her confidence comes from the knowledge that as a qualified medic, with ambitions to practice in the Third World, there are far more important things in life than sport, although it might not have seemed that way as she dragged her screaming body across the finishing line in front of 102,000 people in Stadium Australia on Sunday.

Super Stephanie may fade from the sporting scene as swiftly as she rose to prominence - modern pentathlon correspondents are, after all, somewhat thin on the ground.

But the cyclists and rowers should be around for a while yet, as will the athletes.

As the free champagne was being doled out by generous BA stewardesses, some took the gift of a free upgrade to slumber peacefully in club class.

"I think I was annoying Kelly because I just put my head back and snored for nine hours," said Katharine Merry, who shared her journey home with Kelly Holmes, bronze medal winners both.

Heptathlon winner Denise Lewis joined Audley Harrison on the platform, dwarfed in size but not in achievement. Not quite beauty and the beast but only because the boxer is yet to show signs of the rigours of his profession.

Lewis' longevity will probably exceed the rest of her team-mates. When her career is complete there will still be modelling contracts at her disposal, good looks combined with an educated, intelligent insight making her a television natural too.

Matthew Pinsent, who like Redgrave travelled home first class, reinforced the call for funding which, admittedly, he does not need.

Redgrave too hardly fitted the stereotypical impoverished British Olympian as he slid into a brand new £51,000 Jaguar which his wife Ann decided was the appropriate reward for his phenomenal achievement.

Rowing team-mate Tim Foster did not quite enjoy the same luxury, whisked to the departure lounge for a coffee and muffin by a grateful television presenter delighted to have secured an interview.

But mighty Matthew was right. In funding terms Britain is still a decade behind its major rivals and generally the sports which do benefit are not those that can call on the type of mass spectator involvement which has TV executives clamouring for broadcast rights.

This should not matter. Through guts, endeavour, skill and speed a captivated nation has regained its pride. An enthusiastic public cheering Olympians they still do not recognise.

Britain has a capacity for sport at least the equal of those down under to whom it means so much. Unlike the belligerent Australians, we have grown too used to failure. The notion we love losers more than winners is a myth.

Sport invigorates and unifies like little else in our fractured society. Its voice should be heard at the highest level in government, its participants consulted in victory and defeat.

With a general election looming, Tony Blair and William Hague would do well to listen.