Why is it Team GB and not UK when it includes Northern Ireland?

[revol68]

So how come? Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britain but it is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or so says my huntastic passport, what's going on?

 

[Maltin]

Someone posted a link to this earlier which explains it (esp in the comments)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/rogermosey/2009/09/why_team_gb.html

 

[revol68]

cheers, was just having a look at that myself after realising this thread was deserving of a "let me google that for you" response.

 

[AKA pseudonym]

Coleraine is doing well? more medals than a heap of countries...

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

urrghhh

but it's equally true that "Team GB" has become the tremendously strong brand t

 

[weltweit]

Personally I prefer "Great Britain" to "the UK" so I like it.

Great Britain!!! Yay

 

[smmudge]

And what about the athletes from Channel Islands and Isle of Man? They're not represented under either title.

 

[Wilf]

Is that right (from the comments) that athletes from NI can choose either Ireland or 'team gb'?

I vaguely remember them using the term 'Great Britain and Northern Ireland' in previous competitions (maybe things like European Championships rather than Olympics).