Canada含羞草研究社檚 team is poised for a banner Olympic Games in Paris despite safe-sport and financial turmoil since a record performance in Tokyo.
含羞草研究社淚 believe this is as strong a Team Canada that we含羞草研究社檝e ever seen at the Summer Games,含羞草研究社� said Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker.
含羞草研究社淚 think the world needs these Olympic Games. I think Canada needs these Olympic Games. We need something to cheer for. We need to instil pride in flag and country and I can含羞草研究社檛 think of an Olympic team that含羞草研究社檚 better situated to do that than this one.含羞草研究社�
Preliminary competition got underway Wednesday in Paris ahead of Friday含羞草研究社檚 opening ceremonies that will feature a parade of countries on the River Seine. Decorated sprinter Andre De Grasse and weightlifting champion Maude Charron were named Canada含羞草研究社檚 flag-bearers Wednesday.
With no entries in men含羞草研究社檚 soccer or men含羞草研究社檚 rugby sevens Wednesday, the first Canadians to compete will be archers and the women含羞草研究社檚 soccer team Thursday, when the latter opens defence of its gold medal against New Zealand in St-Etienne.
But the women含羞草研究社檚 soccer team will be minus head coach Bev Priestman for the opener. She voluntarily removed herself Wednesday in the fallout from a team staff member filming a pair of New Zealand practices with a drone.
Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi were ousted from the team in Paris and sent home.
Canadian athletes claimed 24 medals in Tokyo in 2021 for the most at a non-boycotted Summer Olympics despite months of pandemic pivots in their preparation, and in a Games held in a state of emergency because of a coronavirus spike. Canada含羞草研究社檚 seven gold medals equalled the most at a non-boycotted Games.
含羞草研究社淲e always go to every Games with a goal of doing better than we did the Games before,含羞草研究社� said Own The Podium CEO Anne Merklinger.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e well positioned as a country heading into Paris. We have a deeper athlete pool, we have more events with a strong athlete pool and we have more sports.含羞草研究社�
There含羞草研究社檚 also fewer Russian competitors. Only those who can prove to the International Olympic Committee they do not support Russia含羞草研究社檚 invasion of Ukraine will be allowed to compete in Paris as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs).
Canada含羞草研究社檚 team, led by chef de mission and former Olympic sprinter Bruny Surin, consists of 338 athletes, including alternates, plus 560 coaches, support staff and COC mission staff.
The bulk of Canada含羞草研究社檚 medals will come from the track and the pool. Canada含羞草研究社檚 swim team led by 17-year-old Summer McIntosh is poised to better the half-dozen medals won in both 2016 and 2021.
Canada含羞草研究社檚 recent surge in world-class throwers bolstered the track team headlined by sprinter Andre De Grasse and reigning Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner.
Pierce LePage, ranked first in the world in decathlon, withdrew from Paris because of a herniated disc in his back.
Combat sports, rowing and sprint canoe, track cycling, weightlifting, three-on-three basketball and the new sport of breaking are fertile medal ground.
Canadians will compete in Olympic three-on-three basketball, breaking and surfing for the first time. The women含羞草研究社檚 soccer team is among six entries in team sports alongside men含羞草研究社檚 and women含羞草研究社檚 basketball, men含羞草研究社檚 volleyball, women含羞草研究社檚 rugby and water polo.
含羞草研究社淲e know how important team sports are to nation-building,含羞草研究社� Merklinger said. 含羞草研究社淲e need team sports that represent athletes from all across our country in different communities to inspire their communities and help us be better people, more active people, focus on our health, all the things we know doing well at the Olympic Games manifests itself in our country.含羞草研究社�
Gracenote, a statistical analysis company for international sports leagues that also tracks Olympic sports heading into Games, projects 21 medals, including seven gold for Canada in Paris.
The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees asked the federal government for a $104-million infusion into national sports organizations in this year含羞草研究社檚 budget. Shoemaker described NSOs 含羞草研究社渙n the brink of crisis.含羞草研究社�
That money was not forthcoming, although the feds increased the amount of money athletes receive in their monthly cheques that help pay their bills.
含羞草研究社淔or the most part, our national sports organizations were able to provide enough focus with their funding and the resources to make sure that it did not compromise their ability to send the best possible teams under the best possible circumstances to Paris for these Games,含羞草研究社� Shoemaker said. 含羞草研究社淎s we said back in the spring, and as we continue to believe, it含羞草研究社檚 the longer term impact of the lack of funding over the course of nearly two decades that we worry about.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 our information that we含羞草研究社檙e being outspent by Australia by two times and Great Britain by three times. That will catch up to us at some point.含羞草研究社�
The Canadian taxpayer is the largest investor in high-performance sport at $266 million annually, according to federal government figures published in early July. Own The Podium makes federal funding recommendations and provides technical expertise to national sports organizations.
Canada has undergone a safe-sport reckoning in the last two years. Athletes spoke of current and historical instances of abuse 含羞草研究社� mental, verbal, physical and sexual 含羞草研究社� and how they feared retribution if they complained, to parliamentary committees and the media. Some said their welfare took a back seat to winning medals.
Canada has backed off the practice of setting hard medal and ranking targets at Olympic Games.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e talking about winning well,含羞草研究社� Merklinger said. 含羞草研究社淗ow an athlete wins a medal or achieves their performance objectives is as important as the medal itself. That is about making sure that we含羞草研究社檙e always putting people first.含羞草研究社�
Three years between a Games instead of the traditional four extended the careers of some athletes.
含羞草研究社淚 feel like Tokyo was last week,含羞草研究社� said swimmer Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivieres, Que. 含羞草研究社淚n a way, it含羞草研究社檚 easier mentally. You have to prepare for three instead of four years.含羞草研究社�
Those who made their Olympic debut amid pandemic restrictions in Tokyo look forward to a less sterile experience in Paris, and having their friends and family on site.
含羞草研究社淲ith Tokyo, I have the perfect result,含羞草研究社� said Charron of Rimouski, Que. 含羞草研究社淚 have the medal. Now with Paris, I含羞草研究社檒l have the perfect environment.含羞草研究社�
Canada含羞草研究社檚 team made it through Tokyo without an athlete testing positive for COVID-19.
The COC recommended athletes wear a mask while indoors for 72 hours after arrival in Paris.
Australian TV showed that country含羞草研究社檚 swim team arriving at a Paris airport wearing masks and the Australian women含羞草研究社檚 water polo team confirmed Wednesday that five athletes tested positive for the virus.
含羞草研究社淥ur chief medical officer and the team have reviewed our approach to health and wellness and we think it含羞草研究社檚 quite important that we learn from the lessons of the pandemic and don含羞草研究社檛 forget them,含羞草研究社� Shoemaker said.
The COC provides bonus money for medals of $20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze. Healthcare technology entrepreneur Sanjay Malaviya of Hespeler, Ont., has donated a top-up of $5,000 per medal won.
The Olympic Games close Aug. 11. The Paralympic Games in Paris start Aug. 28 and finish Sept. 8.
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