Rachel Homan and Joanne Courtney had been tipped off. There would be a significant representation of Edmonton media waiting for them when they climbed off the final leg of the flight from Beijing here Monday.

“We were warned,” said Courtney. “I put on my best headband.”

“It was hard to tell how big it was. I didn’t have Twitter or anything on my phone. We arrived in Vancouver to an enormous out-pouring of support and now this.

“It feels incredible. It was a dream come true to win the Scotties and then a whirlwind to get ready for worlds. I’m just so proud of the team. We have lots to build on now and it’s hard to wrap my mind around this feeling. To be able to call ourselves world women’s curling champions is something that’s pretty hard to describe,” said the Edmonton registered nurse, who topped the percentage tables for seconds at the event.”

Homan, who in September married Shawn Germain, a Edmontonian who played five seasons of pro hockey in the ECHL and a year in Europe, has been combining University of Alberta student life and married life here while still being officially based out of Ottawa. She wasn’t really expecting such a reception Monday, either. But what the team accomplished in the middle of the night Sunday in China was no normal Canada-wins-something-in-curling sort of story.

The two, along with teammates Lisa Weagle and Emma Miskew, became the first team in the 39-year history of the women’s worlds to go unbeaten, start to finish, to win a gold medal.

Colleen Jones of Canada went undefeated through round-robin play in 2003 but lost the final. And Annette Norberg of Sweden swept through the round robin before losing the 1-2 game, but bounced back to win the semifinal and final.

The team also became the first Canadian women’s team to win the worlds since Jennifer Jones in 2008.

Homan, 27, is a former Canadian junior champion and three-time Scotties champion but winning in Beijing was her first international title. She lost the final to Sweden at the 2010 world junior championships and upgraded from bronze to silver to gold in her three world championships.

“Pretty awesomel," she said. "It’s a really cool feeling. We’re a little bit tired right now. It was a long trip back home. But this is really exciting to bring gold back home for Canada. Coming up short before was hard to handle.”

As for becoming the first team to run the table in the history of the event, that was news to her.

“I didn’t even know. We had a lot of really tight games, especially early. We had two extra end games and a couple others that went to last rock.”

Courtney said she was still over the moon. She laughed that she really hadn’t been able to come down since they walked the Great Wall of China.

“We walked the wall the day before practices began. We went in four days early to get acclimatized, hired a translator and did some touring.

“None of us ever thought we’d ever walk the Great Wall of China. And none of us, once the curling got started, ever thought we’d become the only team in the 39-year history of the women’s world championships to go undefeated through the round robin and the playoffs.”

Courtney, 28, previously played third for Valerie Sweeting but made the move to join Homan for the current Olympic quadrennial in 2014-15. There was a lot of controversy about that move but that made the gold medal she had around her neck during the interviews feel even better.

“I can’t say enough about my teammates. They were so great with my transition. They worked so hard with me and inspired me to work as hard as I could. I think my game has developed.”

Homan has a decision looming about moving full-time to Edmonton after the season ends next year.

“Yeah. But that’s far away from now. Now we want to finish the season strong and then make a plan to gear down for the Olympic Trials in December in Ottawa.

“We’re not here very long and we’re off to the Players Championship and then the Champions Cup. And before all that, I have to leave for Saskatoon and nationals in mixed doubles,” she said of curling’s new Olympic discipline, where she teams up with John Morris.

Courtney was asked if she intended to be at Saturday’s opening draw of the Edmonton 2017 Ford Men’s World Championship here Saturday.

“I’m going to the Oilers game Saturday night. I’m a little curling’d out right now.

“I’ll be at the draws Sunday.”