Jubilant welcome home for NZ Olympians (+ pics)

More than 1000 supporters gave New Zealand's Olympic team an enthusiastic welcome at Auckland Airport this morning.

• See pics here

The team was greeted with cheers and many autograph-hunting children when they walked into the arrivals area nearly two hours behind schedule about 9.20am.

Team chef de mission Dave Currie said it was the biggest welcome home he could remember.

All the medallists were present apart from 1500m bronze medal winner Nick Willis.

First out were the medallists led by a delighted Valerie Vili who had to push through to meet her sister and family.

"I am very happy, very proud, I have done a country of four million people, done my family proud, my parents,'' Vili said.

She said she would spend six days at home before she heads off to Europe next week for further competition.

Most looked exhausted after the 13 hour flight. Vili and rower Mahe Drysdale drew the biggest crowds.

"We were told there was going to be a welcome at the airport but we didn't imagine this many people. It's great to know there's this much support behind us," bronze medal-winning rower Mahe Drysdale said.

"It makes you feel pretty special when people go through that sort of effort to come and wish us well at the airport. It makes all the hard work so worthwhile."

After becoming team leader and carrying the flag in the opening ceremony, Drysdale earned a bronze medal despite a stomach bug which left him visibly ill at the end of the race.

Drysdale, the dominant single sculler in the world in the past four years, said the welcome home would spur him on towards the London Olympics in 2012.

"I love the Olympics, I've been to two now. I just feel like I need to go and finish on a note that I'm happy with," he said. "I feel like although I gave everything this time I didn't get the results I wanted."

There to greet BMX cyclist Sarah Walker, who was fourth in her event, were people from her home town of Kawerau, in eastern Bay of Plenty, and from Trident High School in Whakatane.

The school party had travelled to Auckland with council funding and stayed at a marae in Manukau overnight before heading to the airport.

"It's really special," said Walker, who heads back overseas shortly for a Nike photo shoot in Sydney. "Trident High School is the high school I went to and to have them up here is fantastic, it's a long journey for them."

The visit home was one which boardsailing gold medallist Tom Ashley enjoyed much more than four years ago. He had gone to the Athens Games expecting to do well but ended up 10th.

"This is sensational. It's great to have come having achieved a goal," he said.

 

"I remember how I felt in the airport after Athens coming home on that flight and it wasn't a good feeling. This is much better."

The Olympians had watched Air New Zealand staff welcome them home on the tarmac with a haka, and were then welcomed home by Prime Minister Helen Clark before walking into the throng of supporters.

Team chef de mission Dave Currie said the welcome home was unbelievable.

"This is overwhelmingly bigger than anything else I've ever been in, and I think a neat tribute to the athletes and they deserve it. Most of them have been just blown away by the sheer size and scope of this," he said

"The support from New Zealand right through the Games has been unbelievable, and this is a real manifestation of it so we're really excited, and I'm excited for the team who've worked so hard."

Currie, who has been chef de mission to several Olympics and Commonwealth Games, said he'd like to do the job again if asked.

He said the team had been united and performed well and was looking forward to their performances in 2012.

"Already the team are talking about the athletes who are committed to going on to 2012 -- athletes like Mahe, who would have liked gold, saying he's got to go back to London to get that gold medal.

"There's a whole range of athletes like that who I think because it was a great experience, want to go on and have another crack in London."

All the medallists were present apart from 1500m bronze medal winner Nick Willis, who travelled directly to Europe for competitions there.

The three swimmers Dean Kent, Corney Swanepoel and Cameron Gibson, who were banned from the team's closing party following a prank on another team member, were also on the flight home, though media could not find them in the arrivals area.

The trio were expelled from the Olympic Village in Beijing on Monday after taking a photograph of a drunk teammate sitting on the toilet late and circulating it to other members of the New Zealand team.

They spent their final night in a hotel in Beijing and were excluded from the final NZOC team function.

Swimming New Zealand chief executive Mike Byrne would not comment on what possible further punishment might be handed down.

"Once the team management and the swimmers and NZOC get back in the country we'll meet with them and review everything and decide at that stage whether any further action is necessary,'' he said.