The arrival terminals at airports in Toronto and Montreal were filled with cheers on Monday as fans and family gathered to give a heroB次元官网网址檚 welcome to Canadian Olympians returning home from the Paris Games with a record-breaking medal haul.
The Summer Games saw Team Canada bring home an unprecedented number of medals B次元官网网址� nine gold and 27 in total. Both were records for Canada at a non-boycotted Summer Olympics, surpassing previous highs set in Tokyo three years ago and 1992 in Barcelona.
At TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Pearson International Airport, about 15 Team Canada athletes were greeted by flag-waving airport staff on the tarmac and elated fans and family at the arrivals gate after the Olympians touched down just before 4 p.m.
Among the arrivals was Toronto swimmer Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old who became a household name after winning four medals, including three gold. McIntosh returned to Paris to carry the Canadian flag in the closing ceremony on Sunday alongside gold-winning hammer thrower Ethan Katzberg of Nanaimo, B.C., an experience she called B次元官网网址渉onestly amazing.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 say thank you enough (to the fans) for all their support. It means the absolute world,B次元官网网址� said McIntosh. B次元官网网址淲e wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be here without them today. Even when we were over in Paris, we could feel their support.B次元官网网址�
Also among the returning athletes in Toronto was silver medallist rower Jessica Sevick, of Strathmore, Alta., who was all smiles alongside teammate Kristen Siermachesky, of New Liskeard, Ont. Sevick had lost her voice amid the ongoing celebrations, Siermachesky said, but it didnB次元官网网址檛 stop them from embracing the moment.
B次元官网网址淗ard years of hard work, and I think just being able to release that with your teammates in Paris after celebrating that silver medal was pretty special,B次元官网网址� said Siermachesky, an alternate for the womenB次元官网网址檚 eights rowing team that reached the podium in the event for the second straight Games.
Swimmers Alex Axon, Ella Jansen and Lorne Wigginton also touched down in Toronto. All three made their Olympic debut in Paris, and Axon said their homecoming is an experience theyB次元官网网址檒l never forget.
B次元官网网址淚t takes a whole team of people B次元官网网址� they say it takes a village B次元官网网址� and just looking around here, I see so many people. ItB次元官网网址檚 incredible,B次元官网网址� said Axon, of Newmarket, Ont., who competed in the menB次元官网网址檚 4x200m freestyle relay but didnB次元官网网址檛 make it to the podium. B次元官网网址淚 hope I was able to make them proud.B次元官网网址�
Skating around the arrivals terminal at Pearson airport was 14-year-old Fay De Fazio Ebert, a Toronto skateboarder who became CanadaB次元官网网址檚 youngest Olympic team member since 1976. De Fazio Ebert placed 20th in her Olympic debut, and was proud that she pushed herself to try.
De Fazio Ebert said even though a part of her wanted to stay in Paris, she was happy to be home.
B次元官网网址淚t feels amazing to represent Canada and to know that a bunch of people have my back during this,B次元官网网址� she said, noting sheB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渓ooking for moreB次元官网网址� and will continue to work hard at improving.
At MontrealB次元官网网址檚 international airport, Sylvain Fafard was meeting his son, 25-year-old Thomas Fafard, who made it to the final for the menB次元官网网址檚 5,000-metres event. Sylvain, who was in Paris to watch Thomas run, said B次元官网网址渋t was magicB次元官网网址� to see his son enter the stadium in Paris.
Thomas didnB次元官网网址檛 know until the end of June whether he would qualify for the Olympics, and to the joy of his family he came in eighth in the first round and made it to the final, Sylvain said.
B次元官网网址淭he final was a little harder,B次元官网网址� Sylvain said, explaining that Thomas tripped and hurt his ankle during the race.
B次元官网网址淗e said B次元官网网址� yes the trip hurt him but it was more a mental thing that brought him out of the zone. When the mental or the physical doesnB次元官网网址檛 work at that level, itB次元官网网址檚 harder.
B次元官网网址淏ut heB次元官网网址檚 an Olympian and we are very proud of his journey.B次元官网网址�
Nathan Zsombor-Murray, from the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Claire, Que., won a bronze medal along with diving partner Rylan Wiens, from Saskatoon, Sask., in the menB次元官网网址檚 10-metre synchronized platform.
Arriving at Montr茅al-Trudeau International Airport, Zsombor-Murray wasnB次元官网网址檛 wearing his medal, telling reporters, B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 like to flaunt; IB次元官网网址檓 a humble person.B次元官网网址�
He said the medal was in his suitcase, and that he would find a place to hang it at home.
After failing to win a medal in the individual menB次元官网网址檚 10-metre platform, the 21-year-old said: B次元官网网址淚 wasnB次元官网网址檛 super happy B次元官网网址� but I always try to learn from my experience.B次元官网网址�
Now that the Games are over, he said he feels B次元官网网址渁 little jaded.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been an incredible ride and I am incredibly blessed to have had that experience. But after a month away from home itB次元官网网址檚 hard not to get homesick.B次元官网网址�
But he said there is a good chance heB次元官网网址檒l try and make it back to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games.
B次元官网网址淚s there another Games in me? I think there is. IB次元官网网址檓 going to take some time to reflect on what I want to do. IB次元官网网址檓 also studying. I will take a good break and focus on my studies for a bit now and then come back and see where it will take me.B次元官网网址�
Caeli McKay, a Calgary diver who competed in the womenB次元官网网址檚 10-metre platform and the womenB次元官网网址檚 synchronized 10-metre platform, said it was a thrill to see her supporters in the stands during these Games, unlike last time at the Tokyo Olympics, when the COVID-19 pandemic kept the crowds away.
B次元官网网址淏eing in Tokyo a few years ago and not having anyone there to support us was kind of hard,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淗aving everyone there this time and having a big cheerleading group was just really amazing, and being able to look up into the stands after my last dive was something really special.B次元官网网址�
Another memorable aspect of Paris is the fact her husband, former Olympic diver Vincent Riendeau, was part of her cheering squad.
B次元官网网址淚t was special to have him there and it was his first Olympics as a spectator. It was cool experience for him and obviously nice to have the support of an Olympic husband.B次元官网网址�
Cedrick Belony-Duliepre, who lives on MontrealB次元官网网址檚 South Shore, is Canadian but chose to represent Haiti in Paris to honour his grandparents, who are from the Caribbean country. His family members were at the airport to greet him.
Belony-Duliepre lost in the round of 16 in menB次元官网网址檚 80-kg boxing, but said his time in Paris B次元官网网址渨as an amazing experience. It was my dream.
B次元官网网址淚 worked so hard, since the age of 15, IB次元官网网址檓 now 25 and itB次元官网网址檚 been 10 years that IB次元官网网址檝e worked so hard, that itB次元官网网址檚 been my dream. Every day I worked for this B次元官网网址� I made sacrifices, with the highs and lows I never let go.B次元官网网址�
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