Canadian Olympians arrive at Pearson airport
Posted February 24, 2014 5:28 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canadian Olympic athletes received a hero’s welcome on home soil after competing at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Some of the athletes started to arrive at Pearson airport beginning at 2:45 p.m. on Monday.
People waiting inside the airport chanted “Go Canada Go” before the athletes made their way out.
The athletes who arrived included freestyle skiers Mike Riddle and Dara Howell.
Riddle won a silver in the halfpipe, while Howell got gold in slopestyle — the first skier to do so at the inaugural event.
Both said they were happy to be back home.
“Amazing, you know, home soil. We’ve been gone for like a month now, so it’s nice to be back,” Howell said.
“Can’t wait to get home and go to Tim Hortons, and just have a great time,” Riddle said.
When asked what she’s looking forward to doing now, Howell said, “hanging out with my family.”
“It was incredible,” Howell said of her experience at Sochi. “To have my family there, to watch them and see how happy they were for me, it was the best moment of my life, and I’m happy to be home and to spend some time with them.”
Riddle said his favourite moment was to receive his medal, but he also enjoyed the Sochi experience.
“Just taking in the whole vibe in the athletes village, watching hockey games and all the other events just with all the other athletes. It was really cool to see the camaraderie and the patriotism, and seeing how everyone from all the different sports, would get together and cheer on Canada. It was really cool,” he said.
Thirty-four athletes from Ontario won medals at Sochi 2014 — 19 of them on either the men’s or women’s hockey team.
Family members and reporters wait for athletes to arrive at Pearson airport on Feb. 24, 2014. CITYNEWS/Adrian Golombek
