Rio 2016 heroes parade route announced for Leeds event

  • Published
The route of the Rio Heroes parade
Image caption,

The route of the Rio Heroes parade has been announced

The route of a heroes' parade to celebrate the achievements of Yorkshire's Olympic and Paralympic athletes has been announced.

The Rio Heroes homecoming event is to be held in Leeds from 17:45 BST on 28 September. Some roads will shut.

Athletes taking part will tour the city centre on open-top buses.

Paralympic wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft and Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee will be among the medallists taking part.

The parade will start at The Headrow, outside Leeds Art Gallery, and then go on to Park Row before heading to City Square, Boar Lane and Briggate.

Buses will then return to The Headrow and art gallery, before the athletes head to a civic reception.

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Athletes taking part

Jonny and Alistair Brownlee, Nile Wilson, Jack Laugher, Hannah CockroftImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Medal winners taking part in the parade include (clockwise from top left) triathletes Jonny and Alistair Brownlee, gymnast Nile Wilson, diver Jack Laugher and wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft

• Olympic rowers Andy Triggs Hodge and Paul Bennett, who both claimed gold

• World, European and Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft, who has now won two golds in Rio

• Diver and Olympic gold medallist Jack Laugher

• Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, who earned gold and silver medals respectively at Rio

• Fellow Olympic triathlete Vicky Holland, who won bronze

• Gymnast and Olympic bronze medal winner Nile Wilson

• Olympic rowing silver medallist Zoe Lee

• Paralympic cycling pilot double gold medallist Adam Duggleby

• Paralympic swimmer Jonathan Booth

Source: Leeds City Council

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Road closures

As the parade travels along the route, several roads are to be closed temporarily to all traffic for up to one hour.

Longer-term road closures are also required at key points along the parade route including:

  • The Headrow, from Calverley Street to Cookridge Street

  • Cookridge Street, from The Headrow to Great George St

After the parade, all the athletes will be welcomed at Civic Hall as part of a reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds.

Yorkshire athletes contributed 14 Olympic medals (five gold, five silver, four bronze) for Team GB in Rio and the Paralympics is still under way.

Sir Gary Verity, of tourist organisation Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "Our Yorkshire athletes have entertained us, inspired us and made us proud and we can't wait to welcome them home in style."

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