Crowds gather to support S'porean Olympians in celebratory bus parade despite overcast skies

Amid grey skies and drizzle, supporters of Singapore's Olympians gathered on Aug. 14 for the celebratory open-top bus parade.

At the departure site, fans dressed in red began appearing as early as 10am.

Asked why she turned up to support the athletes, one woman, Debbie, said in Mandarin that she wanted to welcome them home because she felt "very proud."

"We are very happy because Maximilian got bronze and also brought glory to Singapore."

Crowd gathers at Chinatown

In front of People's Park Complex, people also gathered in anticipation of the bus passing by.

People started waiting on the bridge for good views and photos.

The mood was celebratory.

Angelin, 18, who was distributing flags to supporters said, "It's heartwarming. We also wanna let them know that their country is supporting them, no matter whether there's a medal or not."

Danial, 19, ITE Central, student-athlete in his school's volleyball team, said, "I know how hard it is to train; it's very mentally and physically tiring. You put in all that hard work just to get results that you may not want. So since we got the bronze medal, at least I'll be here to support."

Five cheer points

There are five designated cheer points, where members of the public will have the opportunity to cheer on the athletes:

1. Bayfront Avenue (In front of Marina Bay Sands), 11:45am

2. Chinatown (In front of People’s Park Complex), 12pm

3. Orchard Road (Junction of Orchard Road and Bideford Road), 12:20pm

4. Serangoon Road, 12:40pm

5. Victoria Street (Mural Wall near Camera Museum), 12:45pm

Top image via Mothership