A triumphant homecoming for Canadian athletes

A dozen Olympic athletes returned home on Monday, greeted by family and supporters at Montreal-Trudeau airport.

After thrilling Canadians for a couple of weeks in Paris, several Olympians were cheered on their return to Montreal.

"I'm bringing a little piece of Paris back with me, but I apologise if I left it in my bag and can't show it to you," Nathan Zsombor-Murray told reporters, referring to the piece of the Eiffel Tower on the bronze medal he won with team-mate Rylan Wiens in the 10m platform.

"The experience has been incredible, but after a month it's hard not to feel homesick. I'm super proud and super excited to see my family and friends again," added the diver, who is looking forward to sharing his experience with the youth of the Pointe-Claire Aquatic Club, where he has been training since childhood.

Marathon runner Thomas Fafard said that his fondest memory of the games was "seeing 80,000 people in the French stadium, it was really incredible".

The Repentigny athlete, who reached the final of the 5,000 m against all the odds, had a difficult end to the race after injuring his ankle.

"A first Olympic final is incredible, but the result was a bit disappointing. But after a few days, I decompressed and I can now see all the positive aspects of the experience," summed up the 25-year-old Quebecer.

Quebec boxer Cédrick Belony-Duliepre was the first Olympian to meet his family in the arrivals terminal at Montreal-Trudeau airport.

However, he was the only representative of his delegation, as he was competing for his native Haiti with only five weeks' notice.

"It's the best experience of my life. I've been training for ten years, it's my dream. I think about it every day and with the ups and downs I've had, I haven't given up, and then my dream came true," said the boxer before meeting his family.

Canada won 27 medals at the Paris Games, including nine gold.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 12, 2024.