As the sun sets on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, The Canadian Olympic committee, along with its athletes and their fans should be extremely proud of what was accomplished.
The 24 total medals won were the most ever by Canada in a non-boycotted summer Olympics, breaking the previous mark of 22 set in Rio 2016. Furthermore, the seven gold medals tied a country record that was originally set in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. It speaks to the time, money, and resources that the committee has put into the program over the last decade in a commitment to winning.
There were lots of highlights to go through over the 15 day event, but none topped the incredible run by the Canadian Womens Soccer Team, beating the United States for the first time in history in the semi finals, and going on to capture the team’s first ever gold medal, taking down Sweden in the finals.
Make no mistake, our women’s soccer team has been a powerhouse for years, earning bronze medals in both 2016, and 2012. This win though, was a special moment in Canadian Olympic history. It was also great to see Christine Sinclair, who already owns two bronzes, finally come out on top. A member of the national team for 21 years, Sinclair has the most career goals of any international player with 187, and she’s without a doubt one of Canada’s all time great athletes.
Another great moment in Tokyo was track and field star Andre De Grasse taking home his first ever gold medal in the Mens 200m sprint.
De Grasse also picked up two bronze medals as well, in the mens 100m as well as the mens 4x4 relay, adding to the six total olympic medals he’s won in his career.
De Grasse had long been billed as the next superstar of sprinting after Usain Bolt retired following the 2016 games, but injuries had hampered his career leading up to the Tokyo Games. It was good to see De Grasse finally healthy again, validating all the hype with the gold medal win.
Looking ahead for Canada, a murky and complicated situation with the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics awaits, with the event just 6 months away, and many calling for a boycott due to the event’s location.
For now though, Canadian athletes should celebrate and relish the fact that they just turned in the countries best performance ever at a summer games, they’ve earned it.