British Olympic team manager Simon Clegg is wary of heightening expectations for London 2012 after the successes of Beijing.

The medal winners were given a rapturous welcome upon their return to the UK yesterday and minds have already turned to the possibilities when London hosts the next Games.

British Olympic chiefs had set their sights on securing fourth place in the medal table for 2012 - a target viewed by many as over-ambitious.

"There needs to be some time for reflection. We always said Beijing would be judged as a stand-alone Games," he said.

"Of course it was a stepping stone to London 2012 but there shouldn't be any knee-jerk reaction to this outstanding performance."

Clegg also highlighted the crucial role played by the government in making extra funding available that underpinned the success in Beijing.

"Let's give credit to where it's due - to the Government," he said.

"The additional commitment of a further £300million to support the high performance system in the UK awarded after we came back from Singapore when we secured the rights to win 2012 was fantastic."