Paris 2024: De Grasse, Charron to carry Canada’s flag at opening ceremony

Decorated sprinter Andre De Grasse and weightlifting champion Maude Charron couldn’t defy nan chance to transportation Canada’s emblem into specified a unsocial opening ceremonies of an Olympic Games.

De Grasse of Markham, Ont., and Charron of Rimouski, Que., will carnivore nan Maple Leaf connected a vessel connected nan River Seine successful Paris connected Friday, alternatively of starring Canada successful nan accepted jock parade into a big metropolis stadium.

“It’s wild. It’s crazy,” De Grasse said.

De Grasse of Markham, Ont., won golden successful nan men’s 200 metres successful Tokyo 3 years agone and owns six Olympic medals to make him Canada’s astir dressed up man successful Summer Olympic Games history.

Charron of Rimouski, Que., captured weightlifting golden successful nan women’s 64-kilogram section successful Tokyo.

The Canadian Olympic Committee announced its flag-bearer selections Wednesday, though some athletes had known for a fewer days. They had to support it concealed from each but their soul circle.

“I consciousness for illustration saying convey you is not enough,” Charron said. “From each of nan awesome athletes we have, they only prime two. It’s conscionable crazy.

“Everybody should beryllium capable to clasp nan emblem for a second. Everybody has a communicative to tell. I’ll do my best, arsenic always, to correspond nan state that helped maine truthful overmuch to go nan personification that I americium today. With De Grasse, it’s conscionable going to beryllium amazing. He’s a legend.”

De Grasse will compete successful his 3rd Olympic Games and Charron her second, but some will participate successful their first opening ceremonies Friday astatine 7:30 p.m. section clip (1:30 p.m. ET).

“It’s going to conscionable motivate me,” said De Grasse. “It’s going to springiness maine that other boost that I request to spell retired location and make my state proud.

“Going to my 3rd Olympic Games, having this opportunity I astir apt ne'er thought I’d have, it’s a dream travel existent for me.”

De Grasse, 29, and Charron, 31, compete later successful nan Olympic Games. The preliminary information of nan men’s 100 metres is Aug. 3 and Charron lifts Aug. 8.

Both athletes adjusted their mentation plans to participate successful nan ceremonies, successful which almost 100 boats will ferry an estimated 10,500 athletes from much than 200 countries connected a six-kilometre agelong of nan Seine to an area crossed from nan Eiffel Tower, wherever nan Olympic cauldron will beryllium lit.

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De Grasse and Charron will return to their pre-Olympic training bases successful Rome and Nice, France respectively aft nan opening ceremonies.

“The flag-bearer took it complete nan top,” De Grasse said. “I said ‘OK I get a chance to do it.’ You ne'er know. This could beryllium my past (Olympics).

“I do want to effort to do 1 much successful L.A. To get nan opportunity to do it now, I was for illustration ‘why not? let’s do it.'”

About 100 of Canada’s 316 athletes — location are besides 22 alternates — will thrust nan vessel Friday.

Some will want to conserve power if their events are Saturday and others compete successful nan backmost half of nan schedule and haven’t arrived successful Paris yet.

“I really understand why group don’t do nan opening ceremonies and that’s why I didn’t do nan 1 successful Tokyo,” Charron said. “With nan vessel version, we don’t person to walk, we don’t person to beryllium opinionated and it’s Paris.

“It’s moreover much than what I expected from my Paris experience. I’m not conscionable doing nan opening ceremonies. I’m starring nan team. I cannot judge it. I still person goosebumps saying that.”

Miranda Ayim, a three-time Olympian successful women’s basketball, and men’s rugby sevens co-captain Nathan Hirayama carried Canada’s emblem successful nan opening ceremonies successful Tokyo, wherever nan Summer Games were held amid a authorities of emergency because of nan COVID-19 pandemic.

Two-time Olympic trampoline champion Rosie MacLennan, who is successful Paris arsenic portion of nan COC’s ngo staff, was Canada’s flag-bearer successful 2016.

Preliminary title successful Paris sewage underway Wednesday pinch men’s shot and rugby sevens. Canada gets started Thursday pinch archery and women’s soccer.