Singapore's one and only Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling touches down at Changi this morning, and the swimmer can expect a hero's welcome.
A large crowd is expected when he arrives at 5.30am at Terminal 3, where he will give a short address.
Celebrations will continue with Schooling and his family attending Parliament in the afternoon following a personal invitation from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The House plans to move a motion to congratulate the 21-year-old on his gold and express support for Team Singapore athletes, said PM Lee in a Facebook post.
The motion is a formal recognition of Schooling's achievement in the 100m butterfly final on Saturday, <NO1>morning,<NO>when he defeated three star swimmers, including defending champion Michael Phelps, in an Olympic record of 50.39 seconds.
An open-top bus victory ride is also expected, although plans have yet to be confirmed. "We are also planning for some form of a street parade for him," Sport Singapore chief executive Lim Teck Yin said yesterday.
Before catching his flight home, Schooling told reporters at the airport in Rio de Janeiro: "This moment is really important not only for myself, but also for everyone in Singapore. I am looking forward to that."
• Additional reporting by Yogaraj Panditurai
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