News location:

Canberra Today 25°/28° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Canberra gives Olympians big welcome home

HUNDREDS of Canberrans gathered today to welcome home 34 of Australia’s 2012 Olympians, who signed autographs and met fans in Civic Square. 

The celebration marked the end of Australia’s welcome home parades for the athletes, after seven other parades in nine days.

As the sun made an appearance after a chilly morning, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher thanked Canberrans for “turning up in such numbers”.

“We may not match the numbers of some other cities but we sure make up for it in our enthusiasm,” she said.

“For the majority of us, representing Australia at an Olympic Games is a distant dream. Olympians inspire all Australians with their performances, but most importantly they inspire the next generation of young people looking to follow in their footsteps and represent Australia at an Olympic or Paralympic Games.

“It’s here in Canberra that we nurture that talent.”

Sailing gold medallists Matthew Belcher and Malcolm Page thanked the crowd for their support, saying it was “something special to call yourself an Olympian,” while 100m sprinter Melissa Breen said she is “already training” for the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Deputy Chef De Mission of the 2012 Olympics Kitty Chiller said she is “very proud” of the Australian team, who finished tenth on the medal tally with seven gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze.

“The people of the games are an inspiration to a generation,” Ms Chiller said.

“I hope this will encourage people to take up a sport in the future.”

The celebration also included a performance from dance group Salsabor as part of a “countdown” to the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

[portfolio_slideshow]

Photos by Silas Brown

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews