It was just amazing!

Photo: Rebecca Naden

Great Britain - including blonde Nicola on the left – celebrate a goal during the bronze medal play-off.

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Oldham’s Olympian Nicola brings home the glory
OLYMPIC medal winner Nicola White is preparing for a glorious homecoming.

The Shaw-born Great Britain hockey star is basking in the brilliant achievement of bagging a bronze at the 2012 London Games, which came to a electrifying close last night.

Such has been the clamour to celebrate the success of the GB team, Nicola’s feet haven’t yet touched the ground.

Before the closing ceremony began she mingled with the Princess Royal, Dame Kelly Holmes, Prime Minister David Cameron, Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Sylvester Stallone!

The 24 year old said: “To be part of a home Olympics has been a fantastic experience and to be cheered on by so many people, I’m going to have a lot of happy memories.

“Everyone was up at 6am the day after the bronze-medal play-off match and it was one round of interviews after another on television and radio. I couldn’t believe it. We then paraded our medals front of 35,000 people in Hyde Park. That was amazing and something I will always remember.”

Nicola’s mum Gill, brother Daniel and other family and friends were in the 16,000-strong crowd at the Riverbank Arena to see GB beat New Zealand 3-1 to clinch bronze. The Duchess of Cambridge was also present to get behind the girls.

The former Hulme Grammar School pupil added: “We were all devastated after the semi-final, because we had worked so hard only to get so far. But to get bronze is still amazing.

“To win in front of our families and friends was great.”

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