Australia's Olympic team, featuring gold medalists Jessica Fox, Kaylee McKeown, and Ariarne Titmus, returned to Sydney on Wednesday to a warm reception from friends, family, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Australia secured fourth place on the Paris medals table, surpassing traditional sports competitor Britain and host nation France, after claiming 18 gold medals, including four in a single day last week. This achievement matches Australia's previous best at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2004 Athens Games, where the team also won 17 gold medals. Additionally, Australian athletes earned 19 silver and 16 bronze medals, marking their finest performance at an international event. Hundreds of supporters gathered at Sydney airport's hangar to applaud as the athletes, adorned with medals, descended from the Qantas plane that brought them home.
Swimmer McKeown, who secured two gold medals in Paris, remarked, "It's quite special to be welcomed home like this. It's much nicer than just disembarking and heading straight to your car. It's heartwarming to see all the support for us Australians and the success we've achieved." Gold medalist sailor Matt Wearn, who successfully defended his men's dinghy title in Paris, was the first to exit the plane and was greeted by Albanese at the foot of the steps. Albanese expressed, "We want you to know that your achievements inspire us, bring us joy and excitement, and uplift our entire nation." When Australia set a new gold medal record last week, the news dominated the front pages of newspapers and was celebrated across TV networks in the sports-loving country. Australians are now looking forward to even greater triumphs in 2032 when Brisbane hosts the Olympics, following the country's previous successes with 16 gold medals in Sydney and 13 in Melbourne during the 2000 and 1956 Summer Games.
