Warm welcome for local Olympians

Though the hour was late and the crowd had somewhat dwindled over the course of the evening, it was still to bombastic cheer and applause the last 15 athletes to disembark at Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International Airport, 2 local medallists among them, just past midnight early Tuesday. "They've been really supportive of me since I've been (at Beijing)," said silver diving medallist Emilie Heymans, 26, as other members of her Pointe Claire Diving Club waited to greet her with flowers, holding cardboard cut-outs of a picture of her 10-metre dive. "I worked really hard for this," she said as cameras flashed and taped her while proud parents stood aside after a quick congratulatory hug.

Pointe Claire native Tom Hall, 26, who turned many heads after a surprise bronze medal win in the C-1 100 metre canoeing event, said he was actually not that surprised himself. "I knew I could do it," he said, having talked about it with his coach and realizing third place was "definitely a possibility."

Hall also threw a shout-out to his fans at the Pointe Claire Canoe Club, who a few nights ago had gathered at around 3 a.m. local time to watch him perform live on the other side of the world. "I hope they taped (the gathering)," he said. He doubly appreciated the gesture, as it gave his sister, who had been unable to travel to Beijing with his parents, the opportunity to watch him perform live anyway.

Despite a tiresome, long flight and about half an hour delay, the athletes' enthusiasm still showed on their faces. "I'm really excited," Hall told reporters.

The two medallists took a different stance when it came to discussing any potential Olympic future. While Hall said he hopes to make it again in four years, Heymans was more guarded. "I'm going to take a rest a bit," she said, adding she plans on attending fashion design school at Université du Québec à Montréal as of September. She did not comment on whether she will return to the Olympics or not.

Further away from the crowd around the medallists quietly stood Dollard des Ormeaux native Hank Palmer, 23, who ran in the 4 X 100 metre relay team which finished in sixth place. "I'm just glad to be home," he said. Just making it to the Olympics was an accomplishment, he said, particularly in a Canadian relay team that arrived to the finals, which had not happened in years.