Article by Matt Shrivell and Glen ValenCICH, courtesy of The Nightly.
Australia’s youngest ever gold medallist Arisa Trew says she will return to school tomorrow while swim queen Ariarne Titmus has flagged defending her 400m crown at Los Angeles.
The pair were part of Australia’s greatest-ever Olympic team that was welcomed home with tears and cheers of joy from dignitaries including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, family and friends at the Qantas hangar at Sydney International Airport this morning. As the doors of the jet flew open , cheers rang out for flag-bearers, double gold medal-winning swimmer Kaylee McKeown and sailor Matt Wearn as they stepped on to the landing.
“Before the plane took off yesterday, you had already etched your names into Australian sports history,” Mr Albanese told the crowd.
Cheers continued as the star-studded line of competitors made their way down the stairs including gold medallists the Fox sisters, Jess and Noemie, and swimmer Cam McEvoy. Swimmer Emma McKeon, boxer Harry Garside and discus thrower and bronze medallist Matthew Denny were also among the athletes who arrived in Sydney.
Australia won a record 18 gold medals, as well as 19 silver and 16 bronze in Paris.
Trew, the 14-year-old from the Gold Coast who won park skateboarding gold, said she was still buzzing.
“I’m probably going to go to school tomorrow because I love going to school,” Trew said.
“I can’t wait to see all my friends tomorrow or maybe tonight at the skate park.”
Trew revealed she gave up her business class seat to sit with her teammates and fellow skateboarders Chloe Covell and Ruby Trew (no relation) who both missed out on medals, and hence had economy seats.
Denny said Paris had been “an amazing experience”.
“It’s been a great reception, and I think I am just really proud of being able to do something that makes a lot of other people happy,” he said.
Queenslander Titmus has shared an “absolutely beautiful” moment with dad Steve and mum Robyn, while fellow swimmer Elijah Winnington’s parents similarly flew to Sydney just to be there, with the dual medallist spotting his mum “bawling her eyes out”.
Titmus was away for two months and spent time with her parents in Paris but the emotions spilled over.
“It feels good to be on home soil,” she told Sunrise. “I saw Mum and Dad away — but it’s not really the same as when you’re home and you feel like you can just settle and relax.”
Titmus revealed in Paris that she would step away from swimming for up to 12 months ahead of Los Angeles in 2028.
“We’ll see. I would love to get to three Olympics, going to try and defend my title in 400m freestyle for a third time would be a massive feat,” Titmus said.
McKeon, the most decorated Australian in Olympic history, said she’d been looking forward to touching down in Australia.
“I guess it’s just everything you train for and everything you work hard for,” McKeon said after extending her career medal haul to 14 by collecting another gold, silver and bronze in Paris.
McEvoy, 30, who became the first Australian to win the men’s 50m freestyle and the first man from his country to swim at four Olympics said he had plenty of fuel in the tank.
“The medal is amazing in and of itself, but the journey that it took to get here was a journey of a lifetime,” he said.
“Fingers crossed for LA (2028), and I mean fingers crossed for Brisbane (2032). I’d love to go to Brisbane.
“We’ll see what Father Time has in store for me.”
The WA contingent also touched down to a raucous reception on Tuesday evening, with the 120 athletes greeted by a crowd chant of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi, oi, oi”.
Pole vaulter Nina Kennedy emerged from the airport gates wearing her gold alongside boxer Charlie Senior, who won bronze. Kennedy posed with young fans before saying her finally win set in when she got to stand on the podium and hold the medal. “It is damn heavy,” she said. “There was one thing on my list of things that I always wanted to do and that was to become an Olympic champion, no one can ever take that away from me.”
Breakdancer Rachael Gunn was a notable absentee from the flight.
“She came in for the closing ceremony, and the whole team got around her,” McEvoy said. “I think that’s good because it was in contrast to what she was receiving on social media and world media.”
