The Austrian Paralympic team was welcomed home at Schwechat Airport in Vienna on Monday following an impressive 2012 London Paralympics campaign that netted four gold, six silver, and three bronze medals for a 13-medal haul.

Most successful of the 32 athletes was track runner Gunther Matzinger who won gold medals in both the 400m and 800m track events in record time, and was also Austrian flag-bearer during the closing ceremony.

"To march into the stadium with the flag was wonderful, a special ending," the APA reported the 25-year-old bank clerk as having said.

Austrian Paralympic Committe (OPC) President Maria Rauch-Kallat said it was increasingly difficult to compete with first-class athletes from across the world because many of the Austrian athletes had to juggle training with a career, though she was upbeat on the impact the athletes had on other members of society.

"I hope that through this we can inspire other people with special needs to get into sport," she said.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer also congratulated team on its achievements via press release, which he said were "above expectation."