RIO’S COMING UP ROSIE
Canadian trampoline athlete Rosie MacLennan is introduced on Parliament Hill on Thursday as the flag-bearer for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
She stands only 5-2, but Canadian trampoline star Rosie MacLennan is carrying quite the load on her shoulders.
MacLennan, officially named Thursday on Parliament Hill as the country’s flag-bearer for the Rio Olympics, will be leading 313 other Canadian athletes into the opening ceremony in Brazil on Aug. 5.
And then there’s that not-so-small matter of representing 35 million Canadians on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
“As I grew up, I was captivated by the values that the Olympic movement stands for — that pursuit of excellence, respect and the celebration of humanity,” said MacLennan, Canada’s lone gold medallist at the 2012 Olympics in London.
“Standing here, going into my third (Olympics), I’m filled with so much pride that words can’t even begin to describe it. This is beyond my wildest dreams.”
The announcement of MacLennan, 27, as flag-bearer shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native and University of Toronto graduate has been at the top of her sport for years.
In addition to her Olympic gold, she owns a pair of Pan-Am gold medals (2015 in Toronto and 2011 in Mexico) and won the world championships in Bulgaria in 2013. MacLennan also competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Flanked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Rio Chef de Mission Curt Harnett and assistant Chef de Mission Isabelle Charest, MacLennan was all smiles and bubbling with energy as she waved a Canadian flag in front of the Peace Tower.
She also engaged with a group of children on the Parliament Hill lawn, fully embracing the moment.
“I’m holding this opportunity close to my heart,” she said.
“When I march into the opening ceremonies, I will be thinking of the entire journey that got me to that point.”
While MacLennan says she was originally “speechless” when Harnett called to inform her she had been chosen as flag-bearer, he says she was a natural choice.
“Rosie is awesome,” said Harnett, who won three Olympic medals in cycling. “She epitomizes what it means to be a leader in the sporting world and has shown how sheer grit and determination can make you a champion.”
Harnett says MacLennan’s commitment to her sport and the community — and ability to fight back from injuries — makes her a perfect representation of what Canadians value in their Olympic athletes.
After suffering her third concussion last July, MacLennan battled headaches for months, unsure whether she would be able to compete in a third Olympics. But she bounced back, qualifying for Rio by finishing fourth at the 2015 world championships last November.
“At times, I didn’t know this would have been a possibility,” she said, thanking a support group that included her family, friends, coaches and trainers.
There is family history behind MacLennan’s participation, as well. Her grandfather qualified as a gymnast for the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo, but the Games were cancelled after the Second World War began.
Trudeau also didn’t miss the chance to praise MacLennan and her fellow Canadian Olympians.
“All of our extraordinary athletes embody the motto of the Olympics — swifter, higher, stronger,” Trudeau said. “Our flag-bearer certainly does, but I guess we’d put a particular emphasis on the higher for this particular athlete.”
MacLennan’s gold in London served as a Band-Aid for Canadians, disappointed when other top athletes failed to finish on top.
In previous Olympics, many Canadian flag-bearers have suffered from pressure and/or high expectations in their chosen events. Canadian triathlete star Simon Whitfield, who carried the flag in 2012, went down and out after a crash during the cycling portion of the event.
MacLennan, however, says being front and centre on Olympic night is anything but a burden.
“For me, it’s more about the motivation,” she said. “It’s an incredible opportunity. I will use it as extra motivation.”