By anyone's standards, life cannot get much better than it did for Malcolm Smith yesterday.

To experience the joy of a father holding his newborn son for the first time and the pride of an athlete returning home with a medal from a major games -- at the same time -- is more than most of us would dare to dream.

But that was reality for Smith yesterday at Bermuda International Airport, as he held Ben, the son he'd never seen, with the sailing silver he won for Bermuda at the Pan American Games draped around his neck and glinting in the sun.

There were no tears from the strong, 40-year-old poultry farmer, though his eyes seemed to well up as he first looked at young Ben after receiving loving hugs from his wife Julie and daughter Jordan.

By then there wasn't a dry eye on the airport concourse, as those who had gathered to give Smith and his fellow sailing silver medallist Sarah Lane Wright a hero's welcome on a modest scale gazed on the happy scene.

No words were necessary.

Ben was born on Sunday, July 26, the day his father opened his successful series on Lake Gimli, 100 kilometres north of Winnipeg, Canada, with a victory in the first race in the Sunfish class.

Smith is the reigning Sunfish world champion and his success was less surprising than that of 30-year-old Wright, who first took up sailing only four years ago.

Bermuda had won only three medals in the 52-year history of the Pan Ams before the pair's historic success, so it was only fitting that the medallists were met at the airport by a delegation including acting sports minister Terry Lister.

Also returning on the flight from Toronto were the other two members of the Bermuda sailing team, Wright's husband Brett Wright, who just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the Finn class, and Christain Luthi, who finished 10th in a Laser fleet of 15.

The modest Smith, before passing through customs to meet the new family member, was keen to divert some of the limelight the way of his colleagues.

"It's great that the whole team is here today -- it was a great team effort.

And without the help of our coach Gus Miller, I'm not sure we'd have had this success,'' he said.

Both Smith and Wright had been moved by the experience of taking their place on the podium for the medal presentation ceremony.

"It makes you feel like breaking down,'' said Smith. "I wish my wife and kids could have been there to see it, but I'm sure there will be pictures.'' Wright had been equally emotional. "I thought I was going to cry, but I didn't,'' she said. "I knew it was going to be very emotional and it's nice to have a medal put around your neck.'' The pair at opposite ends of their sailing careers. Wright set her heart on making the Olympics one day, while Smith ruled out any campaign to qualify for next year's Games in Sydney.

"This is not quite the end of my sailing career, but there will be no Olympics for me next year,'' said Smith.

"I'm 40 years-old and you've got to remember that the Laser is a very physical boat and you need to train hard and spend a lot of time in the gym.

"I have to support my family and I'm not going to have time to support them and go to the Olympics.'' But Smith added that he planned to defend his Sunfish world title in Puerto Rico in November.

Meanwhile, Wright, who expressed her gratitude to sponsors XL Foundation, who funded half her expenses for this year, and previous contributors Colonial, who helped fund last year's CAC Games campaign, was looking forward to more successes on the water.

"I've been training for four years and I sailed my first regatta three years ago,'' she said.

"I was really pleased to win this medal, because I've worked so hard for it.

And I will keep on working hard and see how it goes.

"I'd love to go to the Olympics and take it as far as I can over the next six years.''