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| Wales' medallists welcomed home | Wales' medallists welcomed home |
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| Wales is giving its returning medal winners at the Beijing Olympic Games a heroes' welcome. | Wales is giving its returning medal winners at the Beijing Olympic Games a heroes' welcome. |
| Ten Welsh members of Team GB took to an open-top bus tour and were greeted by a 2,000-strong crowd in Cardiff Bay. | Ten Welsh members of Team GB took to an open-top bus tour and were greeted by a 2,000-strong crowd in Cardiff Bay. |
| They included gold medallists Nicole Cooke, Tom James and Geraint Thomas and silver winners Tom Lucy and David Davies. | |
| First Minister Rhodri Morgan said Wales must also use the celebration to ensure the health of the nation improves. | |
| He said he had "never never imagined" over the 60 years he has been following the Olympics that Team GB would be so successful. | He said he had "never never imagined" over the 60 years he has been following the Olympics that Team GB would be so successful. |
| The crowd waved Welsh dragon flags in front of the Senedd building, as they waited for the athletes to arrive. | The crowd waved Welsh dragon flags in front of the Senedd building, as they waited for the athletes to arrive. |
| An overcast day turning to fine drizzle with a wind ensured that the "Well done Team GB" banners were fluttering. | An overcast day turning to fine drizzle with a wind ensured that the "Well done Team GB" banners were fluttering. |
| The Cardiff-based Only Men Aloud choir entertained the crowd with the James Bond theme Goldfinger before a selection of songs ahead of next Saturday's final of the BBC's Last Choir Standing. | |
| Centre: Nicole Cooke; clockwise from top left: Tom James, Geraint Thomas, Tom Lucy, David Davies | Centre: Nicole Cooke; clockwise from top left: Tom James, Geraint Thomas, Tom Lucy, David Davies |
| The event also drew visitors from further afield. | |
| Doug Jamieson, 59, and his wife Jen, 60, from Edinburgh were visiting their friend Ada, 93, in Cardiff. | |
| Mr Jamieson said: "The Olympics is a marvellous achievement for the small countries of Scotland and Wales. | |
| "They have all done so very well and it's not right to pick out one in particular. They have all tried their very best." | |
| He said: "it is a breath of fresh air in a dreich (miserable) summer. | |
| Ada said: "I remember the old docks very well, I never thought I'd live to see this though, it's amazing." | |
| Meanwhile, Mr Morgan, who greeted the competitors at the Senedd, said the Cardiff Bay celebration was marking Welsh athletes' "huge contribution to Team GB's extraordinary success". | |
| The first minister said they would also use the celebration as "missionary work" to emulate all the medal-winning athletes along with those who did not make it onto the platform. | The first minister said they would also use the celebration as "missionary work" to emulate all the medal-winning athletes along with those who did not make it onto the platform. |
| I think from Beijing we can see that we can definitely put a good team together so hopefully we can bring back even more medals Triathlete Helen Tucker | I think from Beijing we can see that we can definitely put a good team together so hopefully we can bring back even more medals Triathlete Helen Tucker |
| "We have got to get healthier and fitter and I hope those gold and silver medals will help us to do that." | |
| Other Welsh athletes at the parade were swimmers Thomas Haffield and Jemma Lowe, hockey player Sarah Thomas, runner Christian Malcolm and triathlete Helen Tucker. | |
| The open-top bus made a short tour of Cardiff Bay, starting from Stuart Street, near Techniquest. | |
| Olympic flag | |
| Sports minister Alun Ffred Jones and Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis- Thomas is also greeting the athletes as they arrive at the Senedd. | Sports minister Alun Ffred Jones and Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis- Thomas is also greeting the athletes as they arrive at the Senedd. |
| Geraint Thomas, back home in Cardiff after winning gold in the cycling men's team pursuit, said he was "still on cloud nine" and his achievement had not sunk in. | Geraint Thomas, back home in Cardiff after winning gold in the cycling men's team pursuit, said he was "still on cloud nine" and his achievement had not sunk in. |
| The cyclist said it was great to be part of Team GB's Olympic success and he was looking forward to going down to Cardiff Bay on Tuesday and "lapping up" the atmosphere there. | The cyclist said it was great to be part of Team GB's Olympic success and he was looking forward to going down to Cardiff Bay on Tuesday and "lapping up" the atmosphere there. |
| Triathlete Helen Tucker who finished out of the medals in Beijing said there was a "great atmosphere" in the GB camp, and Nicole Cooke's early gold in the women's road race had "really inspired" her. | Triathlete Helen Tucker who finished out of the medals in Beijing said there was a "great atmosphere" in the GB camp, and Nicole Cooke's early gold in the women's road race had "really inspired" her. |
| The strong performance of Team GB in general in China has also inspired her to aim for London 2012, she added. | The strong performance of Team GB in general in China has also inspired her to aim for London 2012, she added. |
| "I think from Beijing we can see that we can definitely put a good team together so hopefully we can bring back even more medals." | "I think from Beijing we can see that we can definitely put a good team together so hopefully we can bring back even more medals." |
| The Olympic flag was hoisted at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday to signify that it will host events during the 2012 games. | The Olympic flag was hoisted at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday to signify that it will host events during the 2012 games. |
| Former Olympic 110m hurdles semi-finalist and Wales rugby international Nigel Walker joined Roger Lewis, group chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, in raising the flag, which will remain in place for several weeks. | Former Olympic 110m hurdles semi-finalist and Wales rugby international Nigel Walker joined Roger Lewis, group chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, in raising the flag, which will remain in place for several weeks. |
| The stadium will host preliminary round, quarter-final and semi-final soccer matches in the London games. | The stadium will host preliminary round, quarter-final and semi-final soccer matches in the London games. |