Olympians to get open-top car parade through their home towns

Olympians Lauren Price and Lauren Williams will be given an open-top car parade through their home towns following their medal-winning performances in Tokyo earlier this summer.

The tour is being organised by Caerphilly County Borough Council and will take place on Friday, September 3.

It will begin at around 10.45am in Ystrad Mynach – the home town of middleweight boxer Price, who won gold in Japan.

It will then head to Blackwood – the home town of taekwondo star Williams, who won silver at the Games – at around 11.30am.

Flags will handed out to gathering crowds on the day.

Council leader Philippa Marsden said: “I am thrilled that we have been able to arrange this tour in a matter of weeks to celebrate both Lauren Price and Lauren Williams.

“I know there was a huge desire in the local community for us to organise an event fitting of their achievements, and I feel this event will offer an opportunity for the community to show how proud we are of them.”

She added: “Residents will also have the opportunity to write a special message in books that are open in the Centre for Sporting Excellence on the Sports Wall of Fame. We are still exploring options for a large scale event later this year following a presentation to full council.”

Earlier this month, a telephone box on Penallta Road, Ystrad Mynach, was painted gold by Gelligaer Community Council to celebrate Price’s gold medal win, while crowds gathered on the streets to give the boxer a hero’s welcome as she returned from Tokyo.

However, the Royal Mail told Caerphilly Observer that it had no plans to paint a postbox gold, having only done so for the British medal winners during the London 2012 Olympics.

How our Olympic heroes won their medals

Taekwondo star Lauren Williams was the first of the two Olympians to earn their medals during the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The 22-year-old reached the final of the women’s -67kg women’s final, but fell short to Croatia’s Matea Jelic, narrowly losing 25-22 despite holding a lead into the dying moments of the contest.

The competition was held in Chiba, near Tokyo on Monday, July 26.

En route to the final, Williams beat Tonga’s Malia Paseka 11-0 in the last 16, before edging Hedaya Malak, of Egypt, 13-12 in the quarter-finals.

Williams then secured her place in the final after a 24-18 semi-final victory over Cote d’Ivoire’s Ruth Gbagbi.

Speaking after the final, Williams told the BBC: “It’s not enough, I had her, ten seconds, I just let it go. I made a mistake and let it go, it’s on me.

“I went out there to win and tried my best but it didn’t happen on the day. I am very happy with how I performed but it’s a shame she got it.

“An Olympic silver medal is not bad, is it?”

Following on from Williams’ success, Price won Olympic gold after a comprehensive 5-0 victory over China’s Li Qian in the women’s middleweight final on August 8.

Price, who attended Heolddu Comprehensive School in Bargoed, marked her Olympic debut on July 28 with a 5-0 win over Mongolia’s Myagmarjargal Munkhbat in the last 16, before beating Panama’s Atheyna Bylon 5-0 on Saturday, July 31 to reach the semi-finals.

At the semi-final stage, she beat Nouchka Fontijn, of the Netherlands, on a split decision to reach the final.

Price was given a hero’s welcome as she returned to Ystrad Mynach on Tuesday, August 10.

Crowds adorned Penallta Road on Tuesday, August 10, waving Welsh flags to welcome back an emotional Price – who stopped for photos with residents young and old.

Upon arrival, Price was greeted by her grandmother, Linda.

Price dedicated her victory to her grandmother and late grandfather Derek, who passed away in November.

As a baby, Price was taken in and raised by her grandparents.

After her gold medal win, Price told the BBC: “I can’t really put into words what they’ve done for me over the years, I just love them both so much.

“Big shout out to my nan, I can’t wait to see her and show my medal off.”