Canadian Olympic athletes touch down in Calgary
81% of Canada's medals were won by athletes who trained or competed at facilities in Calgary and Canmore
Fresh off of a historic win of 29 medals at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, more than two dozen Canadian athletes arrived at the Calgary International Airport on Monday afternoon.
Among them were bronze medal winner Kaillie Humphries, who was happy with her performance, but also agreed with a suggestion by CBC's Helen Upperton — herself a former silver medal winner in 2010 — that all that may have stood between the bronze and a gold for Canada was their equipment.
"Equipment played a very, very big part in this race," Humphries said.
- Expect new details on 2026 Olympic bid in next 2 weeks, Nenshi says
- Whither the 2026 Olympic bid? Calgary mulls its options to host another Games
"The way that this track is designed, and the type of race that it is, it was always going to be close racing," she added. "It was going to take the [fast] start, it was going to take the drive, [and] it was going to take the [best] equipment.
"The way the ice was shaped, equipment played a bigger part, definitely, than we had originally anticipated."
That said, Humphries wasn't pointing any fingers, but rather simply observing that her German opponents won the gear portion of the rivalry.
'I have no regrets'
"Canada put the best equipment forward that we had,"she said. "We made the smartest choices and we really didn't leave anything to chance and I have no regrets.
"Overall, the Germans were one step ahead with the equipment they have. Canada has some work to do. We're anxiously awaiting getting started all over again. We now have another four years — and we'll see what we can do come the next [Olympic] games."
Humphries also hopes to return to the next Olympics, in Beijing in 2022.
"There's always work to do. Sport is never done. You've got to always challenge and continue to grow. And learn. But I'm definitely going take a little bit of a break first, and then hit the ground running.
"Thank you very much and I appreciate the warm welcome [home] Calgary."
- Canadian Olympic medal recap
- Canada's most successful Winter Olympics ever
- Canadian moments at Pyeongchang 2018
A common thread among many of Canada's wins were the shared training grounds of WinSport's Canada Olympic Park and the Olympic Oval.
WinSport tweeted Saturday that 81 per cent of Canada's medals were won by athletes who trained or competed at its facilities in Calgary and Canmore.
Of Canada’s 27 medals, 22 (or 81%) were won by athletes who have trained or competed at WinSport’s facilities at Canada Olympic Park or Canmore. We are so proud to work with talented athletes from all over Canada! 🇨🇦 <a href="https://t.co/X0tmQDSG7b">pic.twitter.com/X0tmQDSG7b</a>
—@WinSportCanadaHere's who arrived Monday afternoon:
Bobsleigh
Kaillie Humphries, Justin Kripps, Jesse Lumsden, Bryan Barnett, Lascelles Brown, Ben Coakwell, Christine de Bruin, Melissa Lotholz, Alysia Rissling and Seyi Smith.
Speed Skating
Ted-Jan Bloemen, Denny Morrison, Jordan Belchos, Kali Christ, Ben Donnelly, Kaylin Irvine, Marsha Hudey, Josie Morrison, Keri Morrison and Isabelle Weidemann.
Luge
Alex Gough, Sam Edney, Justin Snith, Brooke Apshkrum and Mitch Malyk.
Curling
Kevin Koe, Cheryl Bernard and Benjamin Hebert, while John Morris arrives a little later on a flight at 5:18 p.m.
Skeleton
Kevin Boyer, Jane Channell, Dave Greszczyszyn and Elisabeth Vathje.
Ice Hockey
Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Johnston.
March arrivals
Skeleton athlete Barrett Martineau land in Calgary next Monday, March 5, at 3:28 p.m., followed by Ski Cross athletes Brady Leman and India Sherret, who return March 18 at 3:55 p.m.
- MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Three Hills man charged after threats made against Nenshi, Harper
- MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Alberta Children's Hospital locked down, surrounding roads closed after firearm report
With files from Stephen Hunt