“Because our [goal] has always been two to three medals, and even though we did well at the worlds past year, we can’t change it to say, ‘Well, we did eight, now we’re going to do eight again.’ It doesn’t work that way because this a much tougher environment”, Eriksson said.
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Two Air Canada planes touched down at Pearson International Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning, where huge crowds of family, friends and well wishers had gathered to greet the Olympians. They defeated the host Brazil 2-1 in Friday’s bronze medal match.
Residents in Oleksiak’s east-end Toronto neighbourhood are planning a celebration for her return, tentatively planned for August 28.
Canada’s athletes won 22 medals in Rio, matching the national record for most medals won at a non-boycotted Summer Games.
The largest single contributor to Canada’s Olympic teams are taxpayers, with the federal government giving $200 million in 2015 to support athletes and host global events for them.
Carlo says theyre planning on having live music, and shes hoping people will bring home-made signs and wear red and white.
Teenage soccer fans Claire and Gillian Kilgour found out about the Olympic homecoming at midnight and got up at 4 a.m.to come to the airport with their father.
Canada’s gold-medal haul from the Rio Olympics is the best the country has seen in the past two decades of the Summer Games.
Penny Oleksiak didn’t compete in the Pan Ams as a 15-year-old, but the swimming pool built for those Games made a world of difference in her four-medal performance in Rio.
“Definitely on the camaraderie side of it, there was a little rib-jabbing from the women on the team, saying ‘When are you guys going to step up?’ but the support and the spirit within the village. was really quite spectacular”, Harnett said.
We dont have a favourite player, Gillian Kilgour said. “We wanted to show that”. “We were cheering for everyone”, said Filion. “Of course we’re proud to be women, but we’re proud to be part of the whole team”.
That sentiment was echoed by team pursuit cycling bronze medalist Kirsti Lay, who also flew into Montreal.
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“I’m super honoured just to be able to carry the flag for Canada and lead all these athletes who’ve worked so hard to get here, ” said Oleksiak, a 16-year-old native of Toronto.
