Queensland’s inspirational Olympians and Paralympians will be welcomed home with a parade and reception through the Brisbane CBD on 8 October.
The celebrations in Brisbane will mark one of Australia’s most successful Olympics yet with athletes bringing home a total of 13 gold, four silver and 11 bronze medals.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would join Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to welcome home and congratulate as many athletes as possible.
“COVID delayed the Tokyo games but in many ways they came along at exactly the right time,” the Premier said.
“How wonderful it was to have something to cheer about.
“Our Olympians gave us that and I hope our streets can be filled to show them how much we appreciated it.
“Our athletes did Queensland proud. They deserve a warm welcome home and that’s exactly what we’ll give them.”
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner encouraged parents and grandparents from across Brisbane to bring children to the parade and watch Queensland’s amazing athletes be awarded the Keys to the City.
“With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games locked in, this is a chance for our kids to see our athletes up close and begin dreaming of emulating their incredible feats on home soil,” he said.
Cr Schrinner said the successful Tokyo mission showed what could be achieved by working together and, as a result, he and the Premier planned to meet regularly.
“Whether it’s discussing the Olympics or other topics, the Premier and I will keep the spirit of cooperation going because it will help Brisbane, and all of Queensland, get even better,” he said.
The Premier said with the Olympics on the horizon, the Queensland Government would invest around $30 million to support the next crop of elite athletes to hit their peak in the lead up to 2032.
“Queensland performed better than most countries,” the Premier said.
“If Queensland was a nation, we would have ranked seventh on the medal tally – ahead of the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy.
“This parade will be a great opportunity for young Queenslanders to meet their idols like Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Logan Martin.
“Many of these athletes are young enough to represent Australia again in 2032. Imagine what they could achieve in front of a home crowd,” the Premier said.
Preparations are underway to have the Olympians travel down the Queen Street Mall to a stage at King George Square. They are dependent on continuing to contain the spread of COVID.
