Olympian Austin Florian receives hero's welcome in hometown Southington after winter games
Southington welcomed home a hometown hero, Austin Florian, after his trip to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
The celebration was fit for an Olympian; there was massive excitement the second he walked through the door.
“To think an Olympian coming from Connecticut, just even having representation from a small state like this is kind of crazy,” said Thomas Tanase.
Just about everyone was shocked someone from Southington could go so far.
“It’s really inspirational for everybody because it could have been anyone. I’m so glad it was him,” said Braeden Eddy.
Florian was met with a massive crowd and was escorted outside, where he was recognized for his feat. He placed 7th overall in the mixed Skeleton and 12th overall in the men’s race.
Community members had been following his Olympic journey step by step, and when it was time for a homecoming, organizers say throwing something for him was a no-brainer.
“There have been few events that have brought our community together like this,” said Chris Poulos, State Rep for Southington, adding, “We can congratulate him and tell him we are proud of him.”
Mount Southington was happy to host it too, considering his journey with winter sports started on the hill.
“It is incredible to have an athlete that came out of our race program, make it to the level, it’s not a ski racing discipline, but it’s snow and ice, so it’s fantastic,” said Jay Dougherty, General Manager of Mount Southington.
Florian said the amount of support was overwhelming, but in a good way.
“I wish I could describe it, or put it into words,” Florian said of the celebration.
He added that the games were everything he dreamed of, from the opening ceremony to the races themselves. He was focused on the race, so he was unplugged from most of the outside noise while preparing for his event. But post-race, he was able to log back in, and he said seeing the support was emotional.
“It took me hours to go through all the videos, all the texts, it was unbelievable and amazing,” Florian said.
He was granted a proclamation by the state and was gifted the Connecticut state flag that flew over the capital while he was racing. A token of congratulations, which left the Southington star full of gratitude.
“No matter who you were, a part of it, and I appreciate every single one of you,” Florian said.
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