Rain & shine: We followed the bus parade to see S'poreans celebrate their Olympians

Despite the sporadic rain, it did not damper the spirits of the athletes on a celebratory parade after a successful stint in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

It also did not hinder any fans from showing up to give their support and cheer on Singapore's Olympic athletes.

Amidst grey skies, many people showed up in the red at OCBC Square, the parade's starting point.

At one of the cheer points in Chinatown, fans also gathered in anticipation of the bus passing.

Some even waited on the bridge for a bird's eye view of the bus when it passed.

When it started to rain, the fans ducked into the shelter but did not disperse.

Athletes present

There were 10 athletes present at the parade.

Swimmer Gan Ching Hwee and sprinter Marc Louis joined Shuttlers Terry Hee, Jessica Tan and Yeo Jia Min.

Table Tennis paddlers Izaac Quek, Zhou Jingyi, and kayaker Stephanie Chen were present.

Sailor Ryan Lo and bronze medallist Max Maeder completed the lineup of athletes.

Rain on our parade

The parade kicked off at 11:34 am under grey, overcast skies as it moved towards the city from Sports Hub.

The athletes were full of wholesome antics as they smiled and waved for the media on the bus in front of them.

Husband and wife duo Hee and Tan made a heart pose together.

Maeder also followed suit with boyish joy.

The group would also gather to take photos with each other, and Maeder put his long arm span to use to take a Gen-Z selfie.

When it rained, the athletes were armed with ponchos and were kept dry despite being on the open-top bus.

While the athletes joked with each other and had a fun time together, they also tried their best to acknowledge and wave back to fans on the ground.

Singapore showed up

Crowds flocked to the street to cheer as the athletes passed by, no matter their age.

Some cars even showed their support by honking as they drove past the parade bus.

Hundreds gathered along the bus route with flags and creative signs, and shouts of "well done" and "good job" could be heard.

What this parade means to them

After the parade, Gan shared that the whole parade was a wonderful experience.

"I think I was very heartened, and it was very heartwarming to see all the Singaporeans rally together to support Team Singapore. It was an experience I would never forget."

Chen said it was a "pretty fun" experience and "quite boisterous".

Maeder's heart melted, and he was very happy to see that people enjoyed seeing Team Singapore.

"It's beautiful to see."

The bronze medallist also joked that the rain did not dampen his spirits as they got used to it as it rained during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Maeder added that he was "completely blown away" by the turnout and saw some very nice signs.

Up next

The 2024 Paralympics are up next from Aug. 28 to Sep. 8, 2024.

As of Jul. 6, nine athletes from Singapore will compete in five sports, namely boccia, para archery, para-equestrian, para-swimming, and shooting para-sport.

Top photos via Mothership