Calgary’s own Jan Hudec greeted with hero’s welcome at YYC
Posted Feb 21, 2014 8:01 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Team Canada spirit was alive and well at Calgary International Airport Thursday night as friends, family and fans descended on baggage carousel one to welcome home Jan Hudec.
The downhill skier nabbed bronze in the men’s super-G snapping a 20 year Canadian podium drought in alpine events at the Winter Olympics.
It was an emotional return for Hudec whose been plagued with several knee injuries.
The 32-year-old was even bedridden a few weeks ago after herniating a disc in mid-January.
Among those who were most excited to see Hudec, his mother Vladi who hadn’t spoken to her son since he had won his medal.
“I’m so excited to give him a hug and tell him how proud we as a family are,” she told 660News. “I”m just in awe and letting it sink in. I knew he had the ability to be on the podium but seeing him suffer with so many setbacks and injuries, I think the hand of God had something to do with it, as well as a little bit of luck,”
Wearing Team Canada gear, Tibb was in the crowd.
She’s known Jan for sometime, referring to him as a client and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
“He’s a representative of Canada and even after his back hurt, he made it, I’m just so proud of him,” she said.
Thomas Binley is one of Hudec’s younger fans and hopes to one day follow in the skier’s footsteps.
“When I was five years old, he gave me an autograph and encouraged me to race,” he said proudly. Binley was decked out in a panda suit in honour of his hero’s nickname and later posed for a picture with the Olympian.
Hudec was all smiles as he spotted the crowd while coming down the escalator and became emotional as they broke out into a spontaneous rendition of “Oh Canada.”
He tells reporters having the anthem sung to him in that fashion is definitely a first.
“There’s been a few times at the podium when we sing ‘Oh Canada’ but never anything like a flash mob,” he smiled. “I knew it was a big deal in the ski racing community and we had a 20 year drought and I was just honoured to be the guy who could quash that.”
The 32-year-old proudly showed off the loonie that he buried at the finish line at Rhosa Kutor Alpine Centre.
“If I didn’t do anything it would have been just a loonie that I would have buried in the snow somewhere, I have no idea where this thing is going to end up,” Jan laughed. “Probably framed somewhere besides this thing (the bronze medal) or maybe it’ll just be the medal’s travel companion, a little smaller brother.”
Hudec’s homecoming will be a whirlwind trip; he’ll be home for only two days before he returns to Europe.
The last Canadian to win a medal in a downhill event before Sochi was Ed Podivinsky in 1994 in Lillehammer.
Hudec will visit with skiers and snowboarders Friday at noon, signing autographs and sharing his bronze medal at Canada Olympic Park.
