City pays tribute to its Olympic heroes

Published on Thursday 9 September 2004 13:09

THOUSANDS of well-wishers lined the streets to cheer on Scotland’s Olympic heroes as they paraded through the Capital yesterday.

The Evening News-sponsored open-top bus carried the athletes from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to Bute House in Charlotte Square where they were congratulated by First Minister Jack McConnell.

Led by Edinburgh’s gold medal-winning cyclist Chris Hoy, the team were met with cheers and applause from throngs of elated fans.

Hoy, 28, who won the kilometre time trial at the Athens velodrome last month, said the reception on the streets had been "overwhelming".

But the athletes had originally only been set for a closed-doors civic reception, before the Evening News stepped in to pay for the bus and give the athletes the public tribute they deserved.

Sportscotland then agreed to organise the athletes and the council and the police handled the route planning.

Piped in by Roderick Deans, 25, from Cameron Park in Edinburgh, the procession of 20 athletes was cheered as it set off from the Royal Mile.

The team, dressed in pinstripe suits with "Great Britain Athens 2004" embroidered on their breast pockets, stepped on to the bus as the evening sun shone down.

Deans, a professional piper, said: "I’m absolutely honoured. It’s nice to be able to do my bit for the Scottish team."

The bus driver, Michael Steven, 44, of Lothian Buses, was similarly thrilled to be picked to drive the Olympic heroes.

"I am absolutely delighted and proud to take the athletes to Bute House because of all the effort they’ve put in not only to win medals but also to represent their country," he beamed. "It’s a tremendous achievement."

With the athletes on the upper deck, the bus set off up the Canongate. People stood outside shops and doorways and leant out of windows, cheering as Scotland’s Olympic stars waved and smiled.

"It feels fantastic," said Shirley Robertson, 36, part of the gold medal-winning sailing team. "It’s a beautiful sunny day and lots of people have turned up."

Silver medallist rower Katherine Grainger, 28, said she was moved at the number of well-wishers who had turned up to cheer the team.

"How do you sum this up?" said the rower. "It’s amazing. To go in a bus through Edinburgh and have a piper and everything ... Even the Queen couldn’t beat this!"

Her teammate and fellow silver medallist, Campbell Walsh, 26, of Bridge of Allan, said: "It’s great. It’s not something I was expecting."

The bus travelled up the High Street and down The Mound, passing a crowd in Princes Street, where it crossed over into Hanover Street, before turning left along George Street.

"This is my home city so it’s nice to drive around the streets," said swimmer Kirsty Balfour, 20, from Fairmilehead. Her teammate, Gregor Tait, 25, from Duddingston, who trains at the Commonwealth Pool, agreed: "It’s lovely to be part of it and for all these people to come and see us. It feels quite special."

And the fans were delighted to catch a glimpse of the Olympic stars.

Darren Laidlaw, 21, a postman from Albion Road, Leith, said: "This is not normally the kind of thing we do in Edinburgh so I’m glad people have turned out to see them. The team deserves recognition for their efforts. It will also help to encourage sport in the city."

Edinburgh hammer-thrower Shirley Webb, 22, said: "It’s brilliant. We’ve been really fortunate with the weather. Especially after the reception for Kelly Holmes and Amir Khan, it’s great for us to have it too in Scotland."

Pulling up outside Bute House in Charlotte Square, the athletes were welcomed by hundreds of fans, young and old, waving, clapping, cheering and whistling as the medallists shook hands and signed autographs. One banner read "Chris Hoy - The Real McHoy" while dozens of elated fans, from schoolchildren to pensioners, waved Saltires and Union Jacks.

Cameron Nash, seven, from Craiglockhart, who was there with his mother and sister, was very excited to meet his heroes up close. "I was screaming at the TV when they were all on," he said.

"We came down specially," said Wendy Gray, 47, from Morningside. "It’s not something you’re going to get a chance to see very often."

First Minister Jack McConnell was waiting outside Bute House to greet Scotland’s Olympic stars. "It’s a wonderful occasion - they’ve done us proud," he said.

Inside the pale green drawing room walls of Bute House, where a reception was held to honour the team, the First Minister said: "It’s a real pleasure to be able to congratulate the team. Those kids out there at the barriers are all talking about taking up sports and I think it’s fabulous. Hopefully over the next few years we can build on the success of the team and make sure that Scotland has the very best to offer in terms of sporting facilities and resources."

Ian Stewart, editor of the Evening News, said: "It was a fantastic turnout. It’s wonderful that the athletes got the kind of reception they deserved and I hope that the thousands of fans who turned out to cheer on their Olympic heroes enjoyed themselves.

"I’m really glad that the Evening News was able to step in and help."

On closer inspection, the gold pinstripes of the team’s Olympic suits were made up of the words "Going for Gold". Hoy went for gold, got it and came home to a hero’s reception.

And for the whole team, the public tribute was a fitting finale to their united Olympic glory.