SA: Adelaide welcome Games athletes

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SA: Adelaide welcome Games athletes

ADELAIDE, Aug 13 AAP - Enthusiastic crowds cheered 16 Commonwealth Games athletes inSouth Australia today.

The athletes, along with two Games officials, walked along red carpet at Adelaide'sRundle Mall, to be welcomed by about 3,000 spectators waving streamers and "hand clappers".

Local netballer Kathryn Harby-Williams, who captained the Australian netball team ina cliffhanger final against New Zealand, said she was still elated at winning gold.

"I have been lucky enough to have a lot of highlights but it would be right up there,equally with the best, if not the best," she said.

"Whilst I was on the court I thought we'd lost it on at least two occasions, so itwas very special."

Others taking part in the occasion included walker Liam Murphy, gymnast Jacqui Dunnand table tennis player Tammy Gough.

Gold medallist and marathon runner Kerryn McCann said she was ecstatic to be involved,particularly after missing an earlier ceremony in Sydney.

South Australia-based Tatiana Grigorieva, who won a gold medal in the pole vault, wasabsent from today's ceremony, believed still to be overseas.

The athletes were greeted by state Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, Premier Mike Rannand Adelaide City mayor Alfred Huang.

Ms Jackson-Nelson, who set 10 world records as a sprinter between 1950 and 1954 andbecame known as the "Lithgow Flash", praised the athletes for their achievements and toldthe crowd that it could also achieve great feats.

"There's no such word as `can't'," she said, to loud applause.

"It's not in my dictionary and it shouldn't be in your's.

"You can do anything you want to ... we are still SA great."

The parade, Australia's sixth welcome home party, was followed later today by a civicreception for the athletes at Adelaide Town Hall.

AAP la/pw/sb

KEYWORD: GAMES PARADE SA (PIX AVAILABLE)