17 July: The Canadian Olympic Committee unveiled its team for the upcoming Paris Summer Games on Tuesday, featuring a delegation of 338 athletes. Among them are 142 returning Olympians, including 38 medalists such as swimmer Penny Oleksiak and sprinter Andre De Grasse, who will each be making their third Olympic appearance.
The Games, starting on July 26 and running through August 11, will feature 329 events across 32 sports. Competitions will be held at iconic Paris landmarks like the River Seine, Eiffel Tower, and Roland Garros. This year’s event will mark a return to normalcy after the pandemic-affected Tokyo Games in 2021.
“The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been long anticipated, both by athletes and fans,” said Bruny Surin, Olympic champion and Team Canada’s Paris 2024 chef de mission. “The atmosphere promises to be unique and festive.”
Canada’s team is slightly smaller than the 370 athletes who competed in Tokyo, including eight teams in team sports. For Paris, Canada is sending six teams, including the defending women’s soccer champions, a women’s basketball team, and the first men’s basketball team since 2000, featuring 11 NBA players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray.
Experts predict Canada could win around 20 medals in Paris, thanks to athletes like 800-meter runner Marco Arop, judoka Christa Deguchi, and 17-year-old swimming sensation Summer McIntosh. Canada earned 24 medals in Tokyo, ranking 11th overall, with seven golds, seven silvers, and 10 bronzes.
The 338-member delegation includes 22 alternates ready to step in if needed. Canadian athletes come from nine provinces, with the majority from Ontario (141), Quebec (58), and British Columbia (45).
For the first time, Canada will compete in 3×3 basketball, BMX freestyle, and surfing at an Olympics. Breaking will debut in Paris, with gold-medal contender Philip Kim representing Canada. Canada has full teams in men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics for the first time since Athens 2004 and in all three equestrian events since London 2012.
The oldest Olympian on Canada’s team is 61-year-old dressage rider Jill Irving, while 14-year-old skateboarder Fay DeFazio Ebert is the youngest. Table tennis player Mo Zhang will make her fifth Olympic appearance, the most among the team. Other notable athletes include tennis stars Félix Auger-Aliassime, Bianca Andreescu, Milos Raonic, and Leylah Fernandez, as well as golfers Brooke Henderson, Corey Conners, and Nick Taylor.
For the first time since the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the COC will host a Canada Olympic House, a home away from home for Team Canada athletes, their families, and fans.
“These Games mark a return to the full scale of the Games we haven’t had the opportunity to experience in a long time,” said Eric Myles, the COC’s chief sport officer. “From packed stadiums and having families and friends on hand, to being able to welcome the world to Canada Olympic House, Paris 2024 will be a moment to cherish for us all.”
