Australian Olympians have received a heroes’ welcome at Sydney airport after landing on home soil, after the nation’s most successful Olympic campaign yet.

The Australian team set a national record with 18 golds and 53 total medals at Paris 2024 and also saw its greatest single-day haul with four gold medals and two bronze.

The 460-strong Olympic team touched down in Sydney on Wednesday morning, greeted by a massive crowd of fans and a ceremony awaiting them.

Swimmer Cam McEvoy, who brought home a gold medal from the men’s 50m freestyle, said it had been eight years since the athletes received a hangar introduction on home soil – with the previous Tokyo Games taking place amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As we were pulling up to the hangar, we could see everyone waiting around here and you could kind of feel the excitement on board building as we got along,” he told ABC News Breakfast.

“It’s a little nervous as you’re pulling up and about to walk in front of everyone, but also a really cool experience.”

Fellow gold medal-winning swimmers Meg Harris and Lani Pallister said they had been through juniors and Nippers surf lifesaving together growing up, so to be there together was special.

“I did not expect the world to get around it like this,” Harris said. “Seeing that support and everything is so incredible and that’s one of the reasons we did so well because we felt everyone lifting around us.”

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, welcomed the Olympians home, telling them that before their plane took off yesterday they had “already etched [their] names into Australian sporting history”.

“Every single one of these athletes has done us proud,” he said. “And as the athletes went down the stairs there, not everyone had a medal around their neck – but every single one of them was worth their weight in gold.

“For those of us who were back here staying up late and getting up early, we want you to know that what you have done is inspire us, is give us joy, give us excitement, and lifted up our whole nation due to your performance.”

Albanese also highlighted the fact it was Australia’s most successful Olympic team ever – not just measured in medals but “in how you carried yourselves as athletes and as representatives of Australia.”

During a later interview on ABC News Breakfast, the prime minister was asked for his favourite moment from the games, and highlighted Noémie Fox’s gold in the canoe slalom – and all her family getting excited and jumping in.

Her sister and fellow gold medallist, Jess Fox, told this morning’s hangar ceremony it was “an absolute dream” to be flag bearer and to represent the nation.

“Seeing my little sister with a gold medal after she’d watched me win mine was just a dream come true,” she said. “[It was an] absolutely phenomenal Games, and I’m so proud to be part of this Olympic team.”