It was a similar story in Cardiff where thousands lined the street for the return of gold medal winning cyclists Nicola Cooke and Geraint Thomas and rower Tom James as Wales celerbated its most successful Olympics since 1920.

 

Adlington, who won gold medals in the 400 and 800 metres freestyle, breaking the 19-year-old world record in the latter, was met by a sea of Union flags and a firework display as she arrived in Mansfield's market place following an open bus ride through the streets of the town in Nottinghamshire.

 

It was arguably the biggest occasion in the history of Mansfield, described by D. H. Lawrence in Lady Chatterley's Lover as "that once romantic now utterly disheartening colliery town", which is not noted for the success of its sportsmen and women.

 

Earlier in the year the town's football team were relegated out of the Football League after 77 years and its most notable sportsperson before Adlington was Kris Commons, a Derby County footballer.

 

As the crowds chanted her name at the end of the bus ride, Adlington said: "It's just so great with all the flags.

 

"I wasn't expecting this.

 

"To come back with two gold medals is just amazing.

 

"I think the races have sunk in but I don't think the world record will sink in for a long time.

 

"It's just been so overwhelming."

 

"I've just been so up and down and I'm now ready for a break."

 

Earlier she arrived for a press conference with her boyfriend Andy Mayor, 22, father Stephen, 50, and mother Kay, 48, in a golden Rolls-Royce.

 

She was then presented with a gold pair of Jimmy Choo shoes by the town's Mayor Tony Egginton.

 

Before she left for Beijing, he promised the teenager the £460 hand-made Italian shoes, which are appropriately made out of watersnake, if she won gold.

 

Earlier in Cardiff, the Welsh competitors returned home to a heroes’ welcome with an open-top bus parade around the capital.

 

Crowds of people gathered in front of the Senedd to greet them as they stepped off the bus.

 

Wales’ newest singing sensations Only Men Aloud - preparing for this weekend’s final of reality TV show Last Choir Standing - had helped to lift the crowd into a frenzy with renditions of hits including Goldfinger, Luck Be a Lady and Angels.

 

The athletes, including five medal winners, were introduced to the crowd in turn by S4C presenter Angharad Mair, herself a former international athlete having run for Britain in the marathon.

 

Cooke, who won the first of Britain's 19 gold medals on the second day of the Games, the first by a Welsh competitor since equestrian rider Richard Meade at Munich in 1972, said: “It still feels just as good as it did the moment I crossed the finish line.

 

“I had so many emotions when I realised I was the first one over the line and mine was the first gold for Team GB.

 

“It was one of the best moments of my life and to be an Olympic champion right at the top of my sport is a dream I have had for so many years, so to achieve it is a dream come true.

 

Thomas, a member of the pursuit team that also struck gold, described Cooke’s win as a really “gutsy” ride and said it helped to spur him on to achieve his own gold medal.

 

Wales’ third gold medallist, 24-year-old James, a member of the coxless four, said: “Moments like this are so difficult to comprehend, to see so many thousands of people here is unbelievable.

 

"In Beijing we were in such a bubble and I only heard snippets of what the reaction had been like back home.

 

“To come here and see this is fantastic, thanks to everyone who came along because it means so much.”

 

One of the biggest cheers of the day was saved for Cardiff’s silver medallist David Davies, who battled his way through the 10km open water event to take second place.

 

First Minister Rhodri Morgan joked that ministers were going to have a whip-round to buy him a satellite navigation system for the 2012 Games, after Davies had veered off course in the final stages of the competition.

 

Inside the Senedd the athletes enjoyed a champagne reception, where they were joined by friends, relatives and politicians.

 

Fans queued patiently inside to get pictures with the stars and many had brought Welsh and British flags to get signed.

 

Lynn Davies, who claimed gold in the long jump in the Tokyo Games of 1964 and is now the president of of UK Athletics, said: “It’s a privilege and an honour for me to be here today.

 

"I’m sure the athletes really appreciate how much Wales and its people think about them.

 

“Just to be called an Olympic champion is incredible and now we have three more of them from Wales.

 

“It really was way beyond all expectations.

 

"We are up there with the superpowers if you look at our success compared to the country’s population.

 

“It is brilliant that a nation with three million people can do so well.

 

"To win a single gold medal is a huge challenge these days.

 

“We are punching way above our weight.

 

“It’s also given people an appreciation of sports other than football, rugby and cricket.

 

“It has provided a launching pad for the 2012 Games and given athletes and coaches a real cause for optimism.

 

“We’ve got five medals now – why not aim for 10 medals in 2012?”

 

A parade in Edinburgh is planned for tomorrow for Scotland's Olympians led by triple Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy.