FIVE CANADIAN STORYLINES WORTH WATCHING
Blasts from the past and faces of the future will enter the Rio spotlight starting Friday
BIG TRACK ATTACK
The national track and field team made a statement at the world championship last year in Beijing and is hoping for even bigger things at the Summer Games. Derek Drouin won world gold in the high jump and Shawn Barber finished first in the pole vault as Canada reached the podium eight times. They will anchor a strong Canadian contingent in Rio that includes Andre De Grasse, who could challenge defending champion Usain Bolt in the 100 metres.
NEW WORLD ORDER
The Canadian Olympic Committee made organizational changes after allegations of sexual harassment were levelled at former president Marcel Aubut last year. Aubut resigned in October and two executives and a manager were fired, with former Olympic rower Tricia Smith taking over as president. In addition, Jean-Luc Brassard recently stepped aside as the Canadian team’s chef de mission, with Curt Harnett taking over. The changes all came less than a year out from Rio, but the COC has said it remains confident everything will be ready for the Games.
SWAN SONGS
This could be the final Summer Games for a number of prominent Canadian athletes. Swimmer Ryan Cochrane, who made his senior international debut in 2006, is set to compete at his third Olympics. It’s a virtual certainty that this will be his final Games. It will also likely be the Olympic swan song for two big-name members of the canoe-kayak team. Kayaker Adam van Koeverden, who won gold in 2004 at Athens, is set to compete at the Games for the fourth time while canoeist Mark Oldershaw will make his third appearance.
TEAM EFFORT
There will be some fresh faces as Canada has qualified five teams. The men’s volleyball team is returning to the Olympics for the first time in 24 years. The women’s soccer team has also qualified, along with the women’s basketball, women’s rugby and men’s field hockey squads. It’s the most team entries since Canada entered five at the 2008 Beijing Games.
PODIUM POWER
Golf and rugby sevens have been added and that could mean medals for Canada. Teen phenom Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is among the top-ranked female golfers in the world. She’s a serious contender as golf returns to the Olympics menu for the first time since 1904. While Canada’s men’s rugby sevens team failed to qualify, the women’s squad is likely the country’s best bet for a team medal. Canada has a history of performing well in new Olympic events. Remember triathlete Simon Whitfield at the 2000 Sydney Games?