Madison native Mac Bohonnon made his Olympic debut in the freestyle skiing men's aerial competition today, and to honor him, the town declared it "Mac Bohonnon Day" back home.
Bohonnon, 18, was the only American to advance to the final round of competition in Sochi today.
He finished just shy of the podium, in fifth place, but community members are still beaming with pride.
“I am in tears," said Madison resident Diane Stone. "I've got chills, everything, I just can't believe it."
Signs went up around town, pledging support and offering words of encouragement.
“How many towns have one of their citizens in the Winter Olympics, or any Olympics?" said Madison First Selectman Fillmore McPherson. "This is a great day!”
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In the eyes of Madison residents, Bohonnon is a champion by virtue of competing in the first place.
“He is a winner no matter what. He has put in so much into this dream, and you can't take anything away from him, so it's awesome,” said Stone.
Bohonnon is joined by his family in Sochi and will be greeted with a townwide welcome home celebration.
"It's always wonderful having an Olympian," said Craig Foster of Madison. "It's just the elite of the elite. It looks to me like he did a beautiful job."