Flag bearers Charron, De Grasse lead delegation of nearly 200 athletes
Olympic champions Maude Charron and Andre de Grasse held the Maple Leaf high as Canada’s Olympic delegation sailed its way into the Paris Games.
The Canadians gamely stood on the top level of their vessel waving at the crowd despite the increasing downpour. “Over the next two weeks, more than 330 athletes will represent Team Canada, competing in 28 sports — from swimming, to track and field, to table tennis,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement. “With an unmatched display of athleticism, sportsmanship, and talent, our athletes will cement their legacies and inspire the next generation of Canadians.
The show started with spectators watching a video on giant screens mounted along the Seine where various people carried the torch through Paris. Fans, many covered in plastic rain ponchos, braved inclement weather to come out in droves for the celebration after the day got off to a rocky start when France’s high-speed train network was targeted Friday morning by co-ordinated disruptive acts, including arson and graffiti.
Stands along the river slowly filled about two hours before the ceremony, with many fans holding umbrellas to keep dry. Police sirens and whistles blared in the distance, another sign of the ever-present security that will permeate the city throughout the Games. Measures included closing the Charles de Gaulle Airport and restricting airspace above the festivities.
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