- Athletes earned record haul of medals at the Paris Games
- Flight home was set to be a celebration and full party mode
- However they were booked on a dry flight and the mood was much quieter
They claimed the most Olympic medals in Australian history but our athletes couldn’t even enjoy a glass of champagne to celebrate after they were sent home on a dry flight from Paris to Perth.
The Australian team made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting a new national record with 18 gold medals and a total of 53 medals.
They also achieved their most successful single day, bringing home four golds and two bronze medals.
The 460-member Olympic team arrived back in Sydney on Wednesday morning, where they were welcomed by a large crowd of enthusiastic fans and an official ceremony in their honour.
But there no shoeys, no champagne celebrations, not even a light beer to be had for any of the athletes following their Herculean feats in Paris.
Speaking to Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren, dual gold medal winner Ariarne Titmus revealed the flight home was from a party environment.
‘No, it wasn’t! Because it was, well, it was dry,’ she revealed.
‘And then everyone was so tired that I’m not even kidding, some people didn’t even have dinner and were flat when we took off and slept the whole way, most people slept for 12 hours.
‘When we got on the plane, there was orange and apple juice.’
Ariarne Titmus revealed that the Aussies were sent home from Paris on a dry flight to Perth
The weary Aussies mostly slept on their Qantas flight back home from the Paris Olympics
That left the radio hosts in genuine shock and they asked if the athletes were at least able to enjoy a champagne when they touched down in Perth.
You wouldn’t believe what happened next.
‘This was the best part,’ Titmus said.
‘We got into Perth and they go we’ve blocked off the entire lounge for you guys can go up there and chill for your layover for four hours, and got up there, and it was awesome.
‘Like, we were on arrival and got like, bunch of choccies, like, the whole place done up. Welcome home.
‘We’re like, oh, let’s go and get a little champagne or something. And we go over and the bars shut and they’re making hot choccies.’
Thirsty Aussies couldn’t even get a drink from the bar at Perth Airport, because they were shut
Titmus also shared her thoughts on Australian breakdancer Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn who has been the subject of ridicule globally after her viral performance at the Paris Games.
Athletes celebrated her at the Olympic Village before the closing ceremony and Titmus defended the under-siege breaker, saying no athlete goes out to perform poorly.
‘You kind of have to put yourself in her shoes,’ Titmus said.
‘We’re all sure that she went there and did her best, she’s not going to go to the Olympics and not do her best.
‘If that was happening to me and I was copping that flak you would just be so upset and heartbroken.
‘She’s one of us, she’s a teammate, she’s on the Australian Olympic team so we all got around her.’