A hero's welcome: Canadian Olympians return home after record-setting Summer Games
CBC
The arrival terminals at airports in Toronto and Montreal were filled with cheers on Monday as fans and family gathered to give a hero's 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 — 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 Toronto's 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 "honestly amazing."
"I can't say thank you enough [to the fans] for all their support. It means the absolute world," said McIntosh. "We wouldn't be here without them today. Even when we were over in Paris, we could feel their support."
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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 didn't stop them from embracing the moment.
"Hard 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," said Siermachesky, an alternate for the women's 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 they'll never forget.
Skating around the arrivals terminal at Pearson airport was 14-year-old Fay De Fazio Ebert, a Toronto skateboarder who became Canada's 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.
"It feels amazing to represent Canada and to know that a bunch of people have my back during this," she said, noting she's "looking for more" and will continue to work hard at improving.
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At Montreal's international airport, Sylvain Fafard was meeting his son, 25-year-old Thomas Fafard, who made it to the final for the men's 5,000-metres event. Sylvain, who was in Paris to watch Thomas run, said "it was magic" to see his son enter the stadium in Paris.
