As fans cheered, star swimmer Penny Oleksiak signed autographs and greeted fans at the airport.
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Friends, family and fans mixed with reporters waiting for the athletes to clear customs and pick up their luggage, with most of the hype focused on 16-year-old Oleksiak, who won four swimming medals at the Rio Games, including Canada’s first gold.
“That’s the thing about the Beach and the East End: when one of our own does well, we’re all just excited, and we (feel we have) ownership in that”, said Carlo, whose chiropractic clinic in the Beach streamed Olympics throughout, so people could “pop in and catch a race”.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has chosen Penny Oleksiak to be the country’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games.
“I’m super honoured to carry the flag for Canada”, Oleksiak said at a Sunday news conference.
Carlo says she watched Oleksiak race.
Oleksiak will be hitting the books when she heads back to school in Toronto’s east end on September 6. Starting in mid-September, she will also be back in the pool to train.
Residents in Oleksiak’s east-end Toronto neighbourhood are planning a celebration for her return, tentatively planned for August 28. “We eagerly look forward to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, starting on September 7, 2016, where incredible athleticism from around the world will once more be on display”.
One the trampoline gymnast’s favourite memories from Rio was singing the national anthem with Team Canada just prior to the opening ceremony.
Oleksiak became Canada’s most decorated athlete at a single Summer Games and appears on track to eventually become Canada’s most decorated Olympian ever.
Speedskater Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes, in both speedskating and cycling, are tied for the most career Olympic medals with six apiece.
AM980 will have a reporter at the London International Airport to follow the excitement.
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Soccer player Jessie Fleming said she was proud of her team’s performance in Rio, which garnered them a bronze medal.
