Dozens of people holding balloons, signs and flowers gathered at the Ottawa International Airport Monday to welcome home eight Olympians.

Segun Makinde, Gavin Smellie, Morgan Jarvis, Conlin McCabe, Derek O’Farrell, Pierre-Luc Hinse and Mo Zhang arrived straight from London’s Heathrow airport. Basketball player Courtney Pilypaitus flew in on a domestic flight.

The Ottawa Police Pipe Band played as the Olympians walked out of the customs’ gate.

McCabe, who won silver with the men’s eight rowing team was still wearing his medal. The 6’9” athlete bent down to pose for pictures with children and to let them wear the medal.

“What a way to come home after such a great Olympic experience,” he said. “It’s amazing… I can’t believe there are people here, cameras, lights, microphones. Oh my god, it feels awesome. I mean, coming from Brockville, Ont, this never happens in our sport.”

Children like Matthew, who dreams of one day being an Olympian, got autographs from their favourite athletes.

“It was cool. He was really nice,” said Matthew about McCabe. “I said hi and then he let me hold his medal and then I said congratulations to him.”

“I didn’t expect this, I was just going to hop in a taxi and go home and I really didn’t expect this at all, so I’m really thankful,” said Gavin Smellie, a member of the men’s 4X100 metre relay team that was disqualified in the finals. Had they not been disqualified, the team would have won a bronze medal.

“We have to move forward,” said team mate Makinde on the disqualification. “It sucks, but at the same time we move forward and come back stronger. The World Championships are next year and then the next Olympics too.”

Smellie reflected on participating in the Olympics.

“It was just an amazing feeling,” said Smellie. “I can’t express how great of a feeling it is, you know? Just to compete with the best in the world was even more great. I couldn’t ask for more and yet, hundreds of thousands of people were in the stands watching us, and millions were watching us on TV. You couldn’t ask for a better feeling.”

For most of the athletes, it’s now time for a well-deserved break, but it will not be long before they are on the hunt to win their next tournament.

“We’ll come back even harder next year,” said Smellie. “I’m looking to compete with the United States and Jamaica, so this time everything is going to be right on point.”

“It’s amazing to come back to the capital with a silver medal and get a reception like this,” said McCabe. “It’s everything you could ever dream of being an athlete. Just, hopefully we can do one better in Rio and get a gold. How would that sound?”