Damian Warner, the decathlon champion in white sweatpants, blue denim jacket and black baseball cap, proudly waved the maple leaf when he walked into the Olympic Stadium as the Canadian flag bearer.
This picture is perfect for ending a very successful Olympic Games For Canadian athletes, they have been on the podium 24 times while staying away from the complications of COVID-19.
Track and field cyclist Kelsey Mitchell (Kelsey Mitchell) sent a high profile Canadian to win the gold medal in the women’s sprint competition.
This allowed Canada to win 7 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 11 bronze medals in Tokyo. These numbers are important.
A total of 24 medals set a new standard for Canada in the non-boycotted Olympics, and at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, these 7 gold medals were tied with the country’s total production.
The only time Canada brought home more hardware was in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when Canadian athletes won 10 gold medals and 44 medals. These competitions were boycotted by 14 Eastern bloc countries including the Soviet Union and East Germany.
Canada ranks 11th in both the official medal table and the total number of medals.
The United States won three gold medals on the final day of the competition, surpassing China to become the top spot on the medal table. The U.S. team finished with 39 gold medals in the 38 gold medals of the Chinese team.
The overall medal competition is not even over yet. The Americans finished the game with 112 points, and the Chinese team ranked last with 88 points.
Undoubtedly, sweating profusely under the sweltering 32 C conditions, Warner, ranked 45th out of 206 countries, was caught between Qatar and Gabon because the flag bearer formed a big circle in the infield.
Volunteers fly national flags for countries where no athletes attended the ceremony. Many athletes left Japan shortly after their respective competitions.
Kelsey Mitchell won the gold medal for Canada in the women’s track and field cycling sprint
Warner later joined about 120 Canadian athletes, coaches and support staff who participated in the parade.
Compared with the quiet and gloomy opening ceremony two weeks ago, the ceremony with jazz music is more celebratory.
The 48,000-seat venue is filled with festive music, with athletes dancing, hugging and taking pictures.
Earlier, Mitchell crowned the Canadian Olympics in a powerful way. The 27-year-old from Sherwood City, Alta Province defeated Ukrainian Olena Starikova in two consecutive games to win the women’s sprint championship.
She won the first game by 0.061 seconds and the second game by 0.064 seconds.
Yes, for someone who only started this sport four years ago. As a municipal worker driving a truck, the former college football player is looking for a way to return to competitive sports.
“I haven’t ridden a track bike before. I ridden a bike when I was a kid, but I haven’t ridden anything since then,” Mitchell said.
“I used to dream of participating in the Olympics. In my mind, you want to go and you want to win. So it’s surreal to get a gold medal.”
Damian Warner was selected as the flag bearer for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in Canada
She is the second Canadian woman to win a track and field cycling gold medal in an individual event after Lori-Ann Muenzer won the sprint gold medal in 2004.
Mitchell and Muenzer met four years ago, just after Cycling Canada first contacted Mitchell and wanted to join their team. Mitchell’s aunt suggested that she participate in the meeting with the former Olympian in Mu Enze’s spinning class.
“I stepped forward to introduce myself, and I said,’I want to try track cycling, I want to participate in the Olympics,’ she might say,’Who is this girl?” Mitchell said. “But she was very good, like,’Oh, that’s great.’
“A long time ago. It feels like a long time ago, but I think it’s only four years.”
Elsewhere in the circuit, Calgary’s Alison Beveridge finished ninth in the women’s all-around event.
The only other event that Canadians participated in on the last day was the men’s marathon, and it was no easy task to just complete the race. 30 players in 106 games did not finish.
Ben Preisner (Ben Preisner) is Canada’s top player, ranked 46th in his Olympic debut. Calgary’s Trevor Hofbauer ranked 48th, while Cam Levins from Black Creek, British Columbia kept the lead in the first half, but disappeared in the last 10 kilometers, finishing 72nd with 2:28.43.
“Out of respect for someone like Tristan Woodfine (he is qualified but not selected for the team), I really want to finish the game,” Levins said. “I think it’s the right thing to finish this game. We only have three people to go. So, yes, I think this is what motivated me to stay.
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“If you can’t even finish the game, it’s hard to call yourself an Olympic athlete… So, no matter how slow or difficult the second half is, I want to do my best to get through it.”
The defending champion and world record holder Kenya’s marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge drove the distance in the last 10 kilometers and won the gold medal.
In general, the Canadian team has many reasons to be excited about its performance in Tokyo. The decathlon Warner, the women’s football team, the men’s 200m Andre De Grasse and the women’s eight-row rowing team won the Olympic champions in high-profile events.
Mitchell, swimmer Maggie McNeill and weightlifter Maud Charlen also took the podium because Canadian women’s Olympic athletes once again occupied the majority of medals.
Swimmer Penny Oleksiak won three medals in Tokyo and became Canada’s most respected Olympian with seven professional medals, while De Grasse won three medals with a total score of six, the highest in history among Canadian men.
However, where there is Olympic ecstasy, there is very little Olympic pain. Canada also has its share of close calls and disappointments.
On the first day of the Olympics medals, track and field cyclist Michael Woods (Michael Woods) just reached the podium in the men’s road race. Two-time Olympic trampoline gymnastics champion Rosie MacLennan, women’s 4×400 relay team, weightlifter Boady Santavy, divers Meaghan Benfeito and Caeli McKay, rhythmic gymnast Ellie Black and even Oleksiak – in two different competitions – all won fourth place.
At the same time, Canada has lost in the sports where golf and tennis are becoming powers.
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“The Canadian team has never easily scored any one or second point,” said the team leader Marnie McBean.
“We see a blade-like difference between brilliance and collapse. When you know when to take another risk, it takes courage to believe in one.”
However, considering the increase in COVID-19 cases, Canada’s success is in a state of emergency along with Tokyo. Throughout the Olympics, athletes must also struggle with the muggy and humid environment.
The Canadian Olympic Committee said that as of Sunday, none of its delegation had tested positive for the virus.
“One of our main goals is to come to Tokyo and return to Canada without the coronavirus,” said David Shoemaker, chief executive officer of COC.
“We believe this is essential to our protection, to our performance goals, and to protecting our hosts in Japan.
“We have come to this point. There were zero COVID cases among the 840 athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers of the Canadian delegation.”
© 2021 Canadian Press
