Canada enters final two days in Paris looking to set new Olympic medal mark

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This article was published 09/08/2024 (431 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PARIS – Canada will head into the final two days of competition of the Paris Olympics with a chance to make history.

A silver medal in beach volleyball from Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson to cap competition on Friday gave Canada 24 medals at the Games.

That tied the number Canada won three years ago in Tokyo, which set a record for a non-boycotted Games. Canada’s official record of 44 medals, including 10 gold, was set at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, which were boycotted by the Soviet Union and 14 other Eastern Bloc countries.

Earlier Friday, Canada’s 4×100 relay team, led by star sprinter Andre De Grasse, won gold, tying the non-boycott gold-medal record of seven, previously achieved by Canada in Tokyo and Barcelona in 1992.

Canadian athletes poised to help set a new national medal mark in action Saturday include former world champion breaker Phil Kim, runner Marco Arop in the 800 metres, Katie Vincent and Sophia Jensen in sprint canoe, diver Rylan Wiens and Canada’s women’s 4×400 relay team.

Canada’s performance in Paris is made more impressive when considering some of the country’s strongest medal hopefuls entering the Games didn’t step on the podium.

Damian Warner in decathlon, De Grasse in 200 metres and Canada’s women’s soccer team entered Paris as defending champions but were held off the podium.

Sarah Mitton in shot put and Canada’s basketball teams were also expected to contend for medals but came up empty.

But star swimmer Summer McIntosh emerged as one of the stars of the Games with four medals — three gold and one bronze.

As well, Camryn Rogers won gold to complete a hammer throw sweep with Ethan Katzberg and win Canada’s first medal in the event.

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Canada also racked up medals from unexpected sources.

Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson won Canada’s first medal in women’s beach volleyball.

Alysha Newman, with bronze, earned Canada’s first medal in women’s pole vault, and first medal by any Canadian vaulter since 1912.

And Eleanor Harvey won bronze in women’s individual foil for Canada’s first Olympic fencing medal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first publishedAug. 9, 2024.