Most of Australia’s Olympics team has landed in Sydney for an official welcome home from the Rio Games.
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The team will be greeted by family, friends and dignitaries at their red carpet arrival, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.
Even in the closing act as Australia’s Olympic chef de mission, Kitty Chiller couldn’t get it right and, once again, divided the nation.
Of course, they say winning isn’t everything and just competing in the Olympics is a high honor – but when your training and development is partly funded by taxpayer dollars there is absolutely an expectation of an investment on return.
The Daily Telegraph reported that medal winners travelled business class on the Qantas charters, which rowing gold medallist Brennan described as a “real treat”.
And there was special praise for her son: “He is incredible, what can I say?”
“It’s so special and it really is sinking in now, seeing all of this”, she said. “But I’m in for the ride and we will see what happens in the coming weeks”.
However he said the Olympians would serve as inspirations to children.
Chiller also has the dubious honouring of heading a team with the worst medal haul in Rio since Barcelona in 1992, with eight golds and 29 in total.
“We have made progress”, he said. “Be proud of what you’ve achieved and know that you have inspired and will continue o inspire thousands of Australians”.
They group were in Rio to watch him win gold. I could not be prouder of what we have all achieved in this area.
Among the passengers were nine athletes whose passports were returned on Sunday (Rio time) after a last-minute renegotiation regarding payment of fines for falsifying documents.
“When you under perform in elite sport the blame game always follows, I’m not interested in the blame game”, Chiller said in Rio.
An Australian Olympic official said police accepted his version of events and no further action would be taken.
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Chiller admitted that “Rio certainly had its challenges” after the Australian team at first refused to move into sub-standard accommodation, but added: “The village was the best ever, eventually”.
