‘Done your country proud’: Aussie Paralympians touch down

Australia’s Paralympians have touched down back home with 63 medals, finishing ninth in the standings, after the Paris Games.

Australia’s Paralympians have touched down to a hero’s welcome in Sydney.

The team won 63 medals in Paris with 18 gold, 17 silver, and 28 bronze, finishing ninth in the overall tally.

“You have done your country proud,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“On behalf of all Australians, it is my great honour to welcome you home.”

Two-time wheelchair rugby gold medallist, and now assistant national team coach and national development coach, Jason Lees, is welcomed home by his children Dakota and Ashlyn Lee. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The athletes landed in Sydney on Wednesday morning, after the closing ceremony on Sunday French time.

China dominated the Paralympics, taking 220 medals, with Great Britain and the US taking second and third place.

The Australian team took home more medals than other sport-obsessed countries and nations with much larger populations, including Japan, Germany, Canada and Argentina.

The athletes got their first formal welcoming party. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Six Australians were crowned dual-gold medallists at the Paris Games, and 17 athletes won multiple medals.

Three-time Paralympian and bronze medal-winning swimmer Rachael Watson told media after touching down the Paralympians had not had a welcome home party offered after previous games.

Amanda Lesson, mother of Jamieson Leeson, the first Australian woman to win a Paralympic silver medal in boccia, said her athlete daughter was inspiring.

The 160-member team was the smallest it has been in 20 years. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“She’s done it on her own. It’s just so exciting for the future, to see how far she can go. It was just really tough to be home watching,” she told ABC.

In the pool Alexa Leary, Tim Hodge and Callum Simpson each won two golds and a silver, as did triathlete and cyclist Lauren Parker.

Australia’s medal haul came in nine sports – athletics, boccia, canoe, cycling, rowing, swimming, table tennis, triathlon and wheelchair rugby.

Three-time Paralympic swimmer and four-time medallist Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson won two bronze medals in Paris. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“That adds up to another outstanding Paralympics for Australia – and a credit to all of you who were part of the squad,” the Prime Minister said.

“Over the past two weeks, whenever we turned on the coverage – in the pool, the track, cycling, field events, table tennis, wheelchair rugby – there were Australians to cheer for.

“And as we tuned in, we learned something of your stories, the adversity you had overcome, the challenges you had faced, the determination and commitment that brought you to the pinnacle of world sport,” Mr Albanese said.

Australia took home 63 medals. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“I hope you could feel all 27 million of us with you, willing you on.”

The 2024 Paralympics medal haul was Australia’s lowest since 1988.

Paralympics Australia chef de mission Kate McLoughlin earlier said she was reluctant to focus on the medal table because it did not tell the story of the athletes’ achievements.

The chef de mission flagged that Paralympics Australia had for years warned of neglected funding resulting in worse rankings.

Paralympics Australia president Alison Creagh, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson, Sport Minister Annika Wells, Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Para Olympics Australia chief executive Cameron Murray at the welcome home event. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The federal government doubled its investment in Paralympic sport this year, contributing an extra $54.9m funding in the 2024-25 budget.

Australian Sports Commission chief executive Kieren Perkins had been “a triumph of the human spirit with the Australian team doing the nation proud”.

“Seeing our new golden girl of the pool, Alexa Leary, shine, watching Lauren Parker make history as the first gold medallist across two sports in over 50 years, and James Turner blow his competition away on the track have been some of the many highlights,” Mr Perkins said.

Swimmer Jesse Aungles won gold as part of the mixed 4x100 medley relay. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The doubling of funding from the federal government laid groundwork for fairer sport and better results, he said.

“Central to the strategy is reducing historical inequity of opportunity for Para athletes and laying a foundation for sustainable success.

“We acknowledge that this was our smallest Paralympic team in two decades and the medal count is lower than past Games.

“This was not unexpected, and our work has already begun to address the structural and systemic barriers in Australian Para sport that have led to this.”