{"id":11680097,"date":"2026-02-23T23:19:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T04:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/?p=11680097"},"modified":"2026-02-23T23:49:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T04:49:31","slug":"team-canada-olympic-athletes-welcomed-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11680097\/team-canada-olympic-athletes-welcomed-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Canada athletes welcomed home after 21-medal Olympic performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canadian flags waved and children cheered as Team Canada athletes returned home Monday after capturing 21 medals, including five gold, at the Milano Cortina Olympic<\/a> Winter Games.<\/p>\n

Supporters gathered at airports in Toronto and Montreal, greeting athletes with signs, pom-poms and applause after Canada secured five gold medals along with a series of hard-fought podium finishes.<\/p>\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tCanadian ice hockey players Renata Fast, left to right, Natalie Spooner and Ella Shelton speak with media at Pearson Airport in Toronto, on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.\t\t\t\t<\/span> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tTHE CANADIAN PRESS\/Sammy Kogan\t\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n

“Feels good, feels good to be back on Canadian soil,” curler Brett Gallant said upon arrival from Milan.<\/p>\n

Gallant was part of Canada\u2019s return to the top of the podium in men\u2019s curling.<\/p>\n

“Well it\u2019s been a few years since Canadian men have been at the top of the podium, so it\u2019s nice to accomplish that,” he said.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s hockey team came home with silver. Forward Natalie Spooner said the support from home was felt throughout the tournament.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t \t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t \t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n

“We felt so much support from Canada, families and fans across the country and it\u2019s amazing,” she told reporters. “Obviously it was heartbreaking we lost. I thought we had a great game, had our chances and it just didn\u2019t go our way.”<\/p>\n

Teammate Sarah Fillier described the championship atmosphere as unforgettable.<\/p>\n

“That gold medal game, the building was electric and the coolest environment I\u2019ve ever played in,” she said.<\/p>\n

Bobsleigher Keaton Bruggeling, competing in his first Olympics, said the reception back home was overwhelming.<\/p>\n

“To have the rallying, feel the pride in the flag, it\u2019s an unbelievable feeling,” he said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t \t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t \t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n

In Montreal, speedskater Val\u00e9rie Maltais returned with three medals and the honour of serving as a flagbearer at the closing ceremony. “I got really emotional,” she said of the homecoming.<\/p>\n

Freestyle skier Mika\u00ebl Kingsbury,\u00a0one of the most decorated mogul skiers in the sport\u2019s history, brought home gold in dual moguls and also carried the Canadian flag.<\/p>\n

“To win that in mogul skiing, the first gold medal and the first for Canada, and to be a flag bearer, it was huge,” he said.<\/p>\n

Back in Toronto, family members waited eagerly for reunions. Marie Spooner said she was proud of her daughter\u2019s effort. “She has worked very hard to get there,” she said.<\/p>\n

Fans lining the arrivals area said the Games helped unite the country. “It\u2019s nice, it\u2019s unity, bringing people together from all over the country,” one supporter said.<\/p>\n

More athletes are expected to return in the days ahead.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

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Reflecting on the 2026 Winter Olympics<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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Reflecting on the 2026 Winter Olympics<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Winter Olympics 2026: U.S. defeats Canada\u2019s men\u2019s hockey team for 1st gold medal since 1980<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Canada closes out Milano Cortina games with heartbreak and hope<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Money and medals: Canadian Olympic officials push for more athlete funding<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Team Canada athletes welcomed home after 21-medal Olympic performance<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Supporters gathered at airports in Toronto and Montreal, greeting athletes with signs, pom-poms and applause after Canada secured five gold medals. Watch video →<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":158198308,"featured_media":11680498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-02-24T04:19:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"0907aa28-e59c-47e8-bbe5-aebf5e0bc167","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-02-24T04:49:41Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/ACQeqKOWcR-i75a6_XgvBZw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[546387928,546387273],"tags":[11490],"gnca-iab-tag":[700992841,700585806,700517681,700512057,700527768,700511479,700514213,700511542,700587888,700515902,700558602,700511579,700518065,700552121,700524017,700544064,700512663,700513549,700993007,700572915,700513921,700570644,700511821,700552976,700516004,700558614,700565453,700558606,700512031,700526486,700539958,700513934,700548849,700512172,700511685,700516887,700511910,700539965,700518341],"gnca-iab-category":[700513476,700515894,700516505,700511469,700511470],"coauthors":[546798114],"class_list":["post-11680097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canada","category-sports","tag-olympics","gnca-regions-gnca-national","gnca-iab-tag-2022-winter-olympics-closing-ceremony","gnca-iab-tag-2026-winter-olympics","gnca-iab-tag-applause","gnca-iab-tag-atmosphere","gnca-iab-tag-brett-gallant","gnca-iab-tag-canada","gnca-iab-tag-canada-mens-national-ice-hockey-team","gnca-iab-tag-child","gnca-iab-tag-cortina-dampezzo","gnca-iab-tag-curling","gnca-iab-tag-ella-shelton","gnca-iab-tag-flag","gnca-iab-tag-flag-of-canada","gnca-iab-tag-freestyle-skiing","gnca-iab-tag-gold-medal","gnca-iab-tag-homecoming","gnca-iab-tag-ice","gnca-iab-tag-ice-hockey","gnca-iab-tag-keaton-bruggeling","gnca-iab-tag-mikael-kingsbury","gnca-iab-tag-milan","gnca-iab-tag-mogul-skiing","gnca-iab-tag-montreal","gnca-iab-tag-natalie-spooner","gnca-iab-tag-pride","gnca-iab-tag-renata-fast","gnca-iab-tag-reunion","gnca-iab-tag-sarah-fillier","gnca-iab-tag-silver","gnca-iab-tag-skiing","gnca-iab-tag-speed-skating","gnca-iab-tag-sport","gnca-iab-tag-standard-bearer","gnca-iab-tag-the-canadian-press","gnca-iab-tag-toronto","gnca-iab-tag-toronto-pearson-international-airport","gnca-iab-tag-united-states","gnca-iab-tag-valerie-maltais","gnca-iab-tag-winter-olympic-games","gnca-iab-category-hockey","gnca-iab-category-international-sports-competitions","gnca-iab-category-olympics","gnca-iab-category-sports","gnca-iab-category-team-sports"],"apple_news_notices":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11680097\/team-canada-olympic-athletes-welcomed-home\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":[],"rendered":"","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/globalnews.ca\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CP175866553.jpg?quality=65&strip=all","openmedia_bucket":"","gnca_regions":["National"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":85524,"url":"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/85524\/sask-athletes-reach-the-podium\/","url_meta":{"origin":11680097,"position":0},"title":"Sask. 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