Australian snowboard silver medallist Jarryd Hughes says he is "excited to be home" after spending almost a month in the South Korean snow for the Winter Olympics.
"It (Australia) is the greatest country on earth," Hughes told reporters at Sydney Airport on Tuesday after touching down.
"I am very excited just to be home and hopefully I can get to the beach really soon."
Australia took home an impressive three medals to place 23rd to the cooler climate countries such as Norway, whose athletes placed first with 39 medals, Germany in second with 31, and Canada in third place with 29 medals.
Hughes was one of three Australian medallists in PyeongChang, along with snowboard halfpipe rider Scotty James who brought home bronze and moguls skier Matt Graham who won a silver medal.
The 22-year-old arrived in Australia on Tuesday with cross-country skiing siblings Aimee and Callum Watson, big-air snowboarder Jess Rich, aerialist David Morris, figure skater Kailani Crane and moguls skiers Rohan Chapman-Davies and Jakara Anthony.
As for his silver medal, Hughes said it passed airport security without a hitch.
"You just throw it in the tray and she'll be right," he said.
"But they made sure it was around my neck at some point."
The Olympians now have four years to prepare for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
