PARIS — Despite the driving rain, it was a golden night for Paris with a stunning floating ceremony along the Seine River to open the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
The Canadian team, including several Island athletes, floated by on a barge with athletes from China, Chile and the Central African Republic.
On a remote feed, Sanoa Dempfle-Olin of Tofino held up a Canada banner from Tahiti, where the Olympic surfing competition takes place.
But the moment was potentially tarnished for Canada, in one of the most dramatic days for the nation at the Olympics since the Ben Johnson scandal in 1988 at Seoul.
All the talk about Canada centred on the expulsion of three members of the women’s soccer team — including head coach Bev Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi — over allegations of spying on opposing teams’ practices with drones.
“This is not the start to the Games anyone expected. I am shocked, disappointed and frustrated, as all Canadians are at this point,” said David Shoemaker, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Shoemaker said there “appears to be information” about possible historical spying on opposition practices by Canadian women’s soccer that could tarnish their gold-medal-winning performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“That makes me ill and sick to my stomach, because that was one of my favourite Olympic moments in history.”
It would be a huge reputational blow for a previously beloved national side that twice sold out Starlight Stadium with admiring fans during post-Tokyo exhibition games against Nigeria and Australia.
James Merriman, head coach of Island-based Pacific FC of the men’s pro soccer Canadian Premier League, said he feels bad for the players, who have done an “excellent” job of representing their country.
“I have been around their training environment and seen them work and they always give a great account of themselves. We need to support the players for the rest of the Olympic tournament. And they need to stay strong and lean on each other. I am hoping fans stay 100 per cent behind them.”
Shoemaker was asked at a hectic press conference Friday at Canada Olympic House in Paris, before the opening ceremony, whether the entire Canadian women’s soccer team should be sent home from the Paris Games.
In response, he said, the COC is “comfortable” with the team competing in Paris.
“Three important members of the team were sent home and that is the ultimate sanction the COC can impose. It’s important to send a message that we must do what is right and that winning well and fair play is the only way.”
Shoemaker called Canadian swim sensation Summer McIntosh, who is expected to rack up gold medals in Paris, “the medicine our nation needs.”
Meanwhile, on the Seine, Celine Dion gave Canada at least one win, as she ended the opening ceremonies with a passionate performance of an Edith Piaf classic from the first stage of the Eiffel Tower: Hymne A L’Amour.
