"Bronze on the podium, gold in our hearts."

That's how one eager fan welcomed Christine Sinclair and other members of the Canadian Olympic team as they arrived home from London with medals around their necks.

Hundreds of fans gathered at the airport for the athletes' arrival. Many fans carried Canadian flags and wore red Olympic swag. A number of fans at the scene brought soccer balls wore Sinclair's name on the backs of Canadian team kits.

FAN PHOTOS AND TWEETS (story continues under gallery)

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  • Fans greet Christine Sinclair at YVR

    Fans greet Christine Sinclair and other athletes upon their arrival at YVR. (via Shannon Paterson, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ctv_shannon" target="_hplink">@ctv_shannon</a>)

  • Fans gather at YVR

    Fans gathered at YVR to welcome home Christine Sinclair and other Olympics returning home from London. (via Shannon Paterson, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ctv_shannon" target="_hplink">@ctv_shannon</a>)

  • Christine Sinclair

    Christine Sinclair faces the cameras upon her arrival at YVR. (via Martin van den Hemel, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Martinvandenh" target="_hplink">@Martinvandenh</a>)

  • Rachel Jones

  • Fans wait at YVR

    Fans wait at the Vancouver Airport for the arrival of Christine Sinclair and other Olympic athletes. (via Martin van den Hemel, <a href="www.twitter.com/Martinvandenh" target="_hplink">@Martinvandenh</a>)

  • Christine Sinclair and teammates

    Christine Sinclair is flanked by Canadian Olympic teammates as she greets fans at YVR. (via Lisa Johnson, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lisasj" target="_hplink">@lisasj</a>)

  • Fans greet Olympic athletes at YVR

    Fans await the arrivals of Canadian Olympic athletes at YVR. (via Lisa Johnson, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lisasj" target="_hplink">@lisasj</a>)

  • VancouverSouthsiders

  • Fans swarm Vancouver Airport for athletes' arrival

    Fans swarm the arrival gates at Vancouver Airport for the return of Canadian Olympic athletes. (via Steve Maddess, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/stevemaddess" target="_hplink">@stevemaddess</a>)

  • Fan takes photo with Christine Sinclair

    Christine Sinclair takes a photo with a fan upon her arrival at the Vancouver Airport. (Kim Gray, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/kimmi518" target="_hplink">@kimmi518</a>)

  • Christine Sinclair smiles

    Christine Sinclair smiles as she greets a throng of fans at the Vancouver Airport. (via CKNW, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/cknw" target="_hplink">@cknw</a>)

  • Fans greet Olympic athletes at YVR

    Fans hold signs showing their support for Canadian Olympic athletes arriving from London. (via Dave White, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/1130reporter" target="_hplink">@1130reporter</a>)

  • NYCARE.Com

  • Marcella Bernardo

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  • Mister_Matt

Sinclair's family was also present at the airport with a plan to give the Canadian women's soccer team captain a "hero's welcome" upon her arrival. Grandmother Peggy Gant made her a soccer ball-shaped cake.

Sinclair, of Burnaby, B.C., will collect $5,000 for the bronze medal as part of the Own the Podium initiative, which pays athletes for each medal they win.

The Vancouver Sun collected responses from the scene using Storify.

Emily Zurrer, a member of the bronze medal-winning Canadian women's soccer team, Tweeted, Wow just came home to the most amazing welcome at YVR...thank you to everyone that came out!"

Canadian race walker Inaki Gomez was amazed at the response at the airport, Tweeting a "thank you" to Canadians for welcoming him home.

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