Oleksiak and several returning athletes arrived at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport aboard two Air Canada aircraft before sunrise, with another group of athletes scheduled to arrive at around the same time early Wednesday.
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Oleksiak will cap her unforgettable Rio experience Sunday night by carrying the Canadian flag into Maracana Stadium at the closing ceremony.
The absence of multiple Russians suspended for doping and a slingshot effect from the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where the host team was second to the USA with 217 medals, were perhaps factors in Canada’s medal haul.
“Canadians rained down pride on our athletes”, Harnett said. “It had them stand a little taller and a little more confident”.
But now, Henwood says Canada needs to start thinking about the 2020 Olympics. “I believe that the momentum. carried them on the road to Rio and here on the ground”.
Canada’s 22 medals placed it 10th in the world for the overall medal count, falling almost 100 medals short of the United States, which took the top spot.
“They experienced winning in a pressure-packed environment and they performed on demand in what was an important multi-sport Games”.
The track and field team brought in six medals this time around.
The precious metal count includes four gold, three silver and 15 bronze medals.
A thread ran between those two performances, according to high-performance director John Atkinson.
In the neighbourhood, she says, office decorations and sidewalk signs alike have celebrated the Olympics – and Penny.
The 16-year-old from Toronto won four medals in Rio, including Canada’s first gold.
Lawrence’s teammate Jessie Fleming said she was proud of their performance.
Oleksiak, Chantal Van Landeghem, Sandrine Mainville and Michelle Williams all train there.
Canada is still far short of is 1984 record of 44 medals at the games in Los Angeles, but now ranks 10th overall in the Rio medal count with 22 including four gold, three silver, and 15 bronze at the 2016 summer games.
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“Training alongside those girls every single day made us all a lot faster”, Oleksiak said.
