'Bewiebers' pack airport to welcome Olympic champion Erica Wiebe home

Erica Wiebe, the27-year-old wrestlerfrom Stittsvillewho won Olympic gold in Rio, is back home.

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A group of fans,well wishers and fellow wrestlers that includedOttawa Mayor Jim Watsongreeted Wiebeand her gold medalat the Ottawa International Airport with loud applause and cheering.

A bagpiper playing The Maple Leaf Foreverprecededthe medallistdown the escalator and into the arrivals hall, whereWiebeaccepted flowers,autographed flags and signs,and posed for pictures with her medal.

Wiebetold reporters she heard people would be there to greet her andwas more nervous to come down the airport escalator than she was when she wrestled in the gold medal match on Thursday.

"It's something that's so special to feel so much love from my hometown community and I'm just so proud to be from Ottawa," she told reporters.

City will honour her

Wiebe dominated in the 75-kilogramfreestyle wrestling against veteran Guzel Manyurova of Kazakhstan who took silver in 2004 and bronze in 2012 winning by a score of 6-0 after downing Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus, China's Fengliu Zhang and Germany's Maria Selmaier earlier in the day.

With the victory, Wiebe who now lives and trains in Calgary follows in the footsteps of two-time Olympic medallist Carol Huynh, the winner of Canada's first-ever gold in women's wrestling in Beijing eight years ago, and Tonya Verbeek, who finished on the podium at three separate Games.

Canada's only other gold in wrestling was won by DanielIgaliin 2000.

"It's been a crazy couple of days, I've been trying to ride the wave and take care of myself but also enjoy every moment of it," Wiebe said.

"Also share it with my friends, my family and all of Canada because this medal truly is the work of so many people and so many supporters across Canada. Ijust want to share it with everyone."

Wiebesaid she was excited to sleep in her childhood bedroom aftera 24-hour trip that started Monday morning in Rio's Olympic Village, with stops in SaoPaoloand Toronto.

Watson and Stittsvilleward Coun. Shad Qadrihave invited residents to join them at the Goulbourn Recreation Complex at 7 p.m. Thursday for a community celebration of Wiebe's success in Rio.