Global InformationCanada at the 2020 Summer Olympics information
| Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Canada | |
| IOC code | CAN |
| NOC | Canadian Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| in Tokyo, Japan July 23, 2021 – August 8, 2021 | |
| Competitors | 381 (148 men and 233 women) in 30 sports |
| Flag bearers (opening) | Miranda Ayim Nathan Hirayama |
| Flag bearer (closing) | Damian Warner |
| Coaches | 131 |
| Medals Ranked 11th |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |
Canada competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Since the nation's debut in 1900, Canadian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the country's support for United States-led boycott.
Before the official postponement, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee initially announced their intention not to send teams to both the Olympics and Paralympics.[2] Following the announcement on the postponement, the COC and CPC issued a statement that says, in part, that Team Canada "will rise to the challenge to showcase our very best on the international stage," without explicitly saying that Canadian athletes will take part in the games.[3]
As part of the Canada Day celebrations held on Parliament Hill, Ottawa in 2019, former three time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, Marnie McBean was named as the Chef De Mission for the team.[4]
On July 13, 2021, the Canadian Olympic Committee officially announced the full team of 370 athletes (145 men and 225 women) competing in 30 sports, the largest team the country has sent to the games since Los Angeles 1984 and an increase of 56 from Rio 2016.[5] 131 coaches will also accompany the team.[5] A total of eight squads qualified in team sports, tied for the most ever with Montreal 1976.[6] A total of 227 athletes competed at their first Olympics, and 134 of them returned from Rio 2016.[7] On July 15, 2021, Vasek Pospisil withdrew from the tennis competitions, which reduced the team size to 370.[8] On July 24, Annie Guglia received a reallocated spot in the women's street skateboarding event after an injury to a competitor from South Africa. This increased the team back to 371 athletes (145 men and 226 women).[9]
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Olympic Committee announced in July 2021, that travelling alternates would be allowed to compete in the following team sports: field hockey, football (soccer), handball, rugby sevens and water polo. The alternates for these team sports are listed below and consisted of a further nine athletes (two in field hockey, four in soccer, one per rugby sevens and water polo teams). However, these nine do not officially count towards the team size.[10] Canada's Olympic team contested all sports on the Olympic program except handball, modern pentathlon and surfing.[11] Alternates in soccer, rugby sevens and water polo competed, and are reflected in the table below. This increased the team size to 378. Two athletes in fencing and one in triathlon was added during the competition due to injury replacements. This meant the final team size was 381 athletes (148 men and 233 women).
On July 19, 2021, basketball player Miranda Ayim and rugby sevens athlete Nathan Hirayama were named as co-flagbearers for the Parade of Nations during the opening ceremony.[12][13] On August 8, 2021, gold medalist and Olympic record holder in the decathlon, Damian Warner was named as the flagbearer during the closing ceremony.[14][15]
The 24 medals won at the 2020 Summer Olympics mark the country's best-ever total medals result after the 1984 Games, surpassing the 22 medals won in 1996 and 2016, while also equalling the most number of gold medals won in 1992.[16] At the 1984 Summer Olympics, which were boycotted by the Soviet Bloc, Canada won 44 medals.
- ^ "Joint Statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee". Olympics. 24 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ "Team Canada will not send athletes to Games in summer 2020 due to COVID-19 risks". olympic.ca. Canadian Olympic Committee. 23 March 2020. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ "Canadian Olympic Committee COVID-19 Updates". Canadian Olympic Committee. 25 March 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "Marnie McBean named Canada's chef de mission for 2020 Games". CTV News. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ a b "370 athletes to represent Team Canada at Tokyo 2020" (Press release). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Canadian Olympic Committee. 13 July 2021 [15 July 2021]. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ "Canada taking 371 athletes to Tokyo, largest Games contingent since 1984". www.cbc.ca/. CBC Sports. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Canada to send largest Olympic team in 37 years to Tokyo". Reuters. London, England, United Kingdom. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Vasek Pospisil withdraws from Olympic tennis tournament". www.cbc.ca/. CBC Sports. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "Canadian skateboarder Annie Guglia added to Olympic field after missing cut". CBC Sports. 24 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ "Flexibility introduced for team rosters in several sports at Olympic Games Tokyo 2020". International Olympic Committee. Lausanne, Switzerland. 3 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ Calderone, Andrew (19 June 2021). "Team Canada falls short of sending a surfer to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games". The Ubyssey. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ "Miranda Ayim, Nathan Hirayama named Canada's flag-bearers at Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony". Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 19 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Nichols, Paula (19 July 2021). "Ayim and Hirayama to be Team Canada's Opening Ceremony flag bearers for Tokyo 2020". www.olympic.ca/. Canadian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Dichter, Myles (8 August 2021). "Decathlon champion Damian Warner named Canada's closing ceremony flag-bearer". www.cbc.ca/. CBC Sports. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Nichols, Paula (8 August 2021). "Warner named Team Canada's Closing Ceremony flag bearer for Tokyo 2020". www.olympic.ca/. Canadian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Lao, David (8 August 2021). "Kelsey Mitchell wins gold for Canada in women's track cycling sprint". Global News. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.