The pride of Calgary wrestling is home.

Bronze medallist Carol Huynh returned to YYC Saturday afternoon to family, friends and fans with her bronze medal in hand from the London 2012 Games.

Her welcome party yelled in applause as soon as she came through the terminal, with the same smile she had just after winning her medal.

She said she’s happy to be home after the emotional victory.

“Put my hands to my head, I was shaking my head, I was smiling, I was really happy about the result,” she said. “I wasn’t quite happy about my performance but I was really happy with being able to come home with a bronze medal for Canada.”

Among the crowd at YYC by chance were several young children dressed in Team Canada sweatshirts, who got a chance to talk and take pictures with the wrestler and see her hardware first hand.  

“It feels great, it’s been a long road, I just came back from a little vacation with my husband, but it’s great to come home to Calgary, you know, home sweet home, you can’t beat that,” she said.

After being in London since late July, Huynh leapt over the counter at the airport’s international arrivals gate, hugging her family and friends.

After winning gold in Beijing four years ago, Huynh said although she didn’t repeat as champion, her experience in London was still a major achievement.

“I think I was a little more down to earth and I really made sure that I experienced not only what I was feeling and thinking, but I was really in tune with how my teammates were feeling and thinking,” she said. “Paying attention to all the things that we were doing, it was all those shared experiences, it just makes it so, so special.”

She said she’s looking forward to coaching wrestling in the city, but she’s most excited to sleep in her own bed.