From the pool to the track and beyond, Canada made history at the Paris Olympics
Canadians won an unprecedented 27 medals at a Games to remember
In a race few picked Canada to win, Andre De Grasse anchored the men's 4x100m relay team to gold for the first time in nearly 30 years.
They qualified for the final with the slowest time, running in a less-than-ideal lane. But these four men never gave up on each other, and years of running together helped them become Olympic relay champions.
"I never stopped believing," said gold medallist Aaron Brown. "These guys can do incredible things when we get together and put our minds to it."
It was the latest chapter in the story of one of Canada's greatest Olympians. De Grasse is now tied with swimmer Penny Oleksiak as the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time with seven medals, and his story is still being written.
It was also a reminder of the magic of the Olympics. If you have a lane, you have a chance, and anyone can write a great story that people will remember forever.
WATCH | De Grasse and the relay team's stunning comeback:
And Canada's athletes have written many great stories in these Summer Games, which officially ended with the closing ceremony inside the Stade de France on Sunday.
Canadian athletes earned 27 medals, including nine gold. It's more than any other non-boycotted Summer Games, and the majority have been won by women, which isn't a new trend.
It started on day one with Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old swimming sensation who raced American legend Katie Ledecky for silver in the women's 400m freestyle.
On Sunday morning, McIntosh was announced as one of Canada's flag-bearers for the closing ceremony, alongside hammer thrower Ethan Katzberg.
McIntosh went back to Canada briefly, but said the gravity of what she has accomplished hasn't quite sunk in yet.
WATCH | Paris 2024 just the beginning for McIntosh:
"I think the main thing that's going to take the longest to sink in is being flag-bearer because it is such an honour and once in a lifetime," McIntosh said. "This is definitely something that I'll appreciate and hold close to my heart forever."
History made
Canada medalled in 15 different sports in these Games, tied for the most widespread success the country has ever seen at a Games, according to the Canadian Olympic Committee. Some came in sports that haven't always been strengths for Canada.
Eleanor Harvey won Canada's first fencing medal, earning bronze in the women's individual foil, while Philip Kim (known as Phil Wizard onstage) became the first B-Boy to win gold in the sport's Olympic debut.
Alysha Newman overcame injuries to make her first pole vault final in five years en route to winning bronze — the first Canadian woman to win a medal in the sport.
"It's the start of something amazing for Canadian pole vaulters," Newman said.
"It definitely had to be done so a lot of girls and the next generation know they are fully capable of jumping these heights and this type of talent at the Olympic Games."
"It's really exciting to be able to have a moment like this to close out the games and kind of re-live what we've been able to accomplish — not ourselves, but as a country," Katzberg said after being announced as flag-bearer for Canada, news he received while training in Slovakia.
His Olympic dreams began in 2010, watching the Games in his home province of British Columbia. What these athletes did at these Games could spark a dream for the next great judoka, hammer thrower or fencer.
Beyond inspiring the next generation, athletes who are leaving Paris with medals are making some extra cash, on top of the added visibility that could help earn needed sponsorships.
WATCH | McIntosh and Katzberg on being selected as Canada's closing ceremony flag-bearers:
The agony of defeat
The margin between victory and defeat can be thin, and that was no different at these Games.
Katie Vincent became the first Canadian woman to be crowned Olympic champion in canoe-kayak, after finishing 0.01 second ahead of American Nevin Harrison in the C-1 200m canoe sprint.
That's the same sliver of time that separated Edmonton's Marco Arop from the top of the podium in the men's 800m on the track later in the day on Saturday.
"It's a huge accomplishment," Arop said about his silver medal. "First, making the Olympic final — that was the one thing we wanted to accomplish this year, and we did just that. And on top of that, I was able to have my best performance of all time at this stage, so I couldn't have asked for a better race."
WATCH | Arop reflects on capturing silver:
Medal favourites Damian Warner (decathlon) and Sarah Mitton (shot put) saw their dreams slip away — Warner when he no-heighted on the pole vault, and Mitton by fouling out on a rainy day inside the Stade de France.
All three of Canada's basketball teams felt the sting of defeat, leaving France without a medal despite high hopes.
Many counted the Canadians out after the scandal resulted in a six-point penalty by FIFA. They came back to defeat New Zealand, then rallied again to beat France in front of a home crowd.
"We're not cheaters," Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles said through tears after the France game. "We're damn good players. We're a damn good team. We're a damn good group and we proved that today."
The Canadians completed a perfect group stage by beating Colombia 1-0. But the magic ran out against Germany.
"I want them to remember this group of players for never backing down," veteran Janine Beckie said after the loss. "It would have been really easy for us to throw the towel in, in the first game. But we didn't."
Return of the Olympic spirit
It all played out in front of thousands of fans. After two Olympic Games with COVID restrictions, including no fans in the stands, athletes got to draw energy from the roar of crowds — and to celebrate with their friends and family.
Organizers promised these Games would be a party and a spectacle, and it certainly lived up to that promise.
There's no better example of that than Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson going for beach volleyball gold under the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower in front of more than 11,000 fans.
WATCH | Primetime panel catches up with Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson after earning silver:
The duo ultimately earned silver, the country's best result in the sport, and became the first Canadian women to earn medals in beach volleyball. They did it by battling back from the lucky loser round, never wanting to give up.
"It's been a big team effort and great to finally have something reflect the amount of work that's been put in, no matter the medal and the material results," Wilkerson said. "We have a piece of history that lasts forever."
Next up in Paris is the Paralympic Games, which run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8. More than 4,000 athletes will take centre stage in 23 different sports.
A big stage in 2028
Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker believes there's even more podium potential in 2028.
But he used his organization's closing press conference on Sunday to call for more support for national sport organizations from the federal government.
"We think that if the Government of Canada invests in national sports organizations, in providing safe, barrier-free and inclusive sport environments for all Canadians for the long term, we can achieve that potential," Shoemaker said.
De Grasse has said he'd like to compete in another Olympics, and there's plenty of talent coming behind him on the track, including Audrey Leduc and Christopher Morales Williams.
WATCH | For the family: Morales Williams' journey to the Olympics:
Katzberg plans to be back, too.
"I want to go out and do right by Canada and just be the best I can be," he told CBC News Network's Heather Hiscox on Sunday.
McIntosh will have a chance to create more history under the bright lights of SoFi Stadium, the NFL arena slated to host swimming events in 2028.
She said she plans to approach her next Olympics the same as she did in 2024. Even though it'll be her third Games, she plans to relish it like her first.
"Now having more experience, I think it'll be even better," McIntosh said.
"We've got some time, but definitely going to just keep working hard and keep doing what I'm doing, and hopefully I can reach some pretty special things there."
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