Canada sets a fast first-half medal pace in Paris

PARIS – Canada’s squad successful Paris was connected gait for a grounds Olympic Games astatine halftime aft a mortifying shot ungraded that began earlier nan eco-flame was moreover lit successful Jardin des Tuileries.

With 15 medals — 4 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze — and different badge already guaranteed successful men’s boxing, Canada trended to amended nan 24 medals won 3 years agone successful Tokyo, which was nan astir astatine a non-boycotted Summer Games.

Canadian athletes won astatine slightest 1 badge each time successful nan first eight, which a squad had erstwhile earlier successful Rio successful 2016.

“I’ve been talking truthful overmuch earlier nan Games astir nan breadth and extent of this team, that we would beryllium looking for much medals from much athletes crossed much sports and disciplines and I deliberation that’s precisely what we’re seeing,” Canadian Olympic Committee main executive serviceman David Shoemaker connected Saturday.

Toronto teen Summer McIntosh led nan gold-medal complaint pinch her 3rd Saturday successful nan pool.

Her 4th badge successful Paris matched teammate Penny Oleksiak’s grounds for nan astir by a Canadian astatine 1 Olympic Games.

“I’ve sewage 3 boys and they can’t extremity talking astir Summer McIntosh,” Shoemaker said.

Canadian women continued nan inclination of driving nan badge autobus arsenic they person astatine erstwhile Summer Games.

They won, aliases successful nan lawsuit of mixed doubles tennis had a manus in, 11 medals successful nan first half.

“Dronegate,” that resulted successful shot caput coach Bev Priestman and 2 different squad unit members sent location by nan COC, and nan women’s squad docked six points by FIFA contempt appeals to nan Court of Arbitration for Sport, was a achromatic oculus for a state purporting to espouse adjacent play.

Soccer squad unit utilized drones to spy connected New Zealand practices earlier Canada’s opener July 25.

The fallout enveloped celebrated erstwhile women’s shot coach John Herdman and put nan women’s Olympic golden successful Tokyo nether nan microscope because of grounds this wasn’t an isolated incident.

Unless location are further revelations of shot misconduct astatine nan Olympic Games, Shoemaker says nan COC is done issuing nan subject successful its purview.

“(We) took nan eventual punishment that we tin do astatine nan Olympic Games, which is removing 3 members from a coaching unit and sent them home,” he said.

“We besides want to past post-Games make judge we support Canada Soccer, collaborate pinch Canada Soccer and hopefully compel to a definite grade each those stakeholders successful nan crippled of shot to do what (CEO) Kevin Blue sets retired to do pinch his independent outer reappraisal truthful that we can, arsenic he says, champion understand what led to this unspeakable business that was a immense distraction for nan shot squad earlier they moreover kicked nan first ball.”

The women’s shot squad successful France shifted nan weight of that communicative somewhat by winning each 3 matches successful nan group shape to scope nan quarterfinals, contempt a points shortage that should person been devastating.

The shot squad bowed retired connected punishment kicks successful a quarterfinal nonaccomplishment to Germany connected Saturday successful Marseille.

“What they’ve done to merge themselves successful nan grit and determination they’ve shown to triumph 9 points successful nan look of nan six-point conclusion they faced is astonishing to me, and really rather an accomplishment,” Shoemaker said.

“Back successful Paris, while nan different athletes connected Team Canada knew and were alert of what was going connected successful soccer, it was not a immense distraction for them.”

Trending Now

Hits and misses are why group watch nan Olympic Games successful nan billions and Canada had its stock complete nan first 8 days.

A multi-medal capacity from McIntosh was expected and nan 17-year-old delivered pinch a will and poise beyond her years.

She has a changeable astatine a 5th badge successful nan medley relay successful Sunday’s aquatics finale, which would necktie speedskater Cindy Klassen for nan astir medals won by a Canadian jock successful a azygous Olympic Games.

A fencing bronze badge was nan first for Canada astatine an Olympic Games.

A metallic badge successful women’s rugby sevens included a monolithic upset of favoured Australia to get to nan final.

Christa Deguchi’s golden badge was nan item for a heavy judo squad that different missed nan podium.

Tokyo’s decathlon champion Damian Warner missed his rod vault 3 times successful Paris to driblet from badge position retired of contention Saturday.

World champion boxer Tammara Thibeault was ousted successful her opening bout for her first nonaccomplishment since Tokyo.

Canadians vanished 4th 9 times successful nan first 8 days.

“It doesn’t ever spell nan measurement we want it to connected nan field, and besides arsenic we each cognize now, disconnected nan section of play but we’re doing our very champion to make Canadians proud,” Shoemaker said.

Canadians to watch successful nan backmost half see hammer thrower Ethan Katzberg connected Sunday and reigning champion Andre De Grasse successful nan 200-metre heats Monday and last Thursday.

The men’s hoops squad plays its quarterfinal Tuesday erstwhile hammer thrower Camryn Rogers is besides successful action.

Others connected pat see taekwondo jock Skylar Park, weightlifter Maude Charron, 800-metre runner Marco Arop, sprint canoeist Katie Vincent, wrestler Justina Di Stasio, sprint cyclist Kelsey Mitchell and breaker Phil (Wizard) Kim.

“The look up is arsenic agleam arsenic nan look back,” said Shoemaker.

This study by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.