Some of Australia’s Olympians and Paralympians will be honoured at events in Darwin and Palmerston on Saturday.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro did not name the athletes in her press release about the visit but the NT News reported that among the visitors would be Stingers water polo captain and silver medal winner Zoe Arancini, along with Matt Glaetzer, a cyclist who has competed in four Olympics and won two bronze medals, as well as bronze medal-winning BMX rider Nat Diehm, and dual Paralympian cyclist and bronze medallist Darren Hicks.

“Our Olympic and Paralympic Games athletes have done us so proud on the global sporting stage and their inspirational achievements brought us together as a nation. Saturday will be the perfect opportunity for everyone to congratulate our athletes on their amazing sporting success in Paris and the spirit in which they competed,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

“Darwin is proud of the achievements of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes.”

Paralympics Australia Interim chief executive Cameron Murray said the 2024 Australian Paralympic team featured several athletes from the NT, including representatives in swimming, wheelchair basketball, track and field, cycling, and wheelchair rugby.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our athletes to meet with the local community and to say thank you,” Mr Murray said.

Hicks (pictured) was raised in Darwin and won silver at the Tokyo games. His parents Rod and Karen were unable to attend because of COVID restrictions on that occasion, but they were delighted to be in Paris and see him win bronze.

The athletes will be at the Casuarina Square Shopping Centre at noon for the public to meet them before they move to the Casuarina Pool at 1 pm, and then onto SWELL at the Palmerston Recreation Centre at an unspecified time, where they will engage in sports activities with kids.