Sporting white pants, a blue jean jacket and black ballcap, decathlon champion Damian Warner proudly waved the Maple Leaf as he entered the Olympic Stadium as Canadian flag-bearer.

The image was a fitting one to wrap up a very successful Olympics for Canadian athletes, who made 24 trips to the podium while staying clear of COIVD-19 complications.

Track cyclist Kelsey Mitchell sent the Canadians out on a high note, winning gold in the womenB次元官网网址檚 sprint competition.

That gave Canada seven gold, six silver and 11 bronze medals in Tokyo. Those numbers are significant.

The 24 total medals set a new standard for Canada in a non-boycotted Olympics, while the seven gold tied the nationB次元官网网址檚 output at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The only time Canada took home more hardware was in the 1984 Los Angeles Games when Canadian athletes won 10 gold and 44 total medals. Those games were boycotted by 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union and East Germany.

Canada finished 11th both in the official medal standings and the overall medal count.

The United States won three gold medals on the final day of competition to pass China for the top spot in the medal standings. The U.S. finished with 39 golds to ChinaB次元官网网址檚 38.

The overall medal race wasnB次元官网网址檛 even close. The Americans finished with 112, with China well in the distance at 88.

No doubt sweating up a storm in the muggy 32 C conditions, Warner B次元官网网址� who entered 45th out of 206 countries B次元官网网址� was sandwiched between Qatar and Gabon as flag-bearers formed a large circle on the infield.

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Volunteers held flags for countries that did not have athletes present at the ceremony. Many athletes left Japan shortly after their respective competitions.

Warner was later joined by about 120 Canadian athletes, coaches and support staff who marched in the parade.

The ceremony, with its jazzy soundtrack, had a more celebratory feel than the muted and rather sombre opening ceremony over two weeks earlier.

Athletes danced, hugged and took pictures as festive music filled the 48,000-seat venue.

Earlier, Mitchell capped CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Games in an emphatic fashion. The 27-year-old from Sherwood, Park., Alta., beat UkraineB次元官网网址檚 Olena Starikova in two straight heats to capture the womenB次元官网网址檚 sprint title.

She won the first race by 0.061 seconds and the second race by 0.064.

Not bad, for someone who only picked up the sport four years ago. Driving a truck as a municipal worker, the former varsity soccer player was looking for a way to get back into competitive sport.

B次元官网网址淚 hadnB次元官网网址檛 ridden a track bike before, IB次元官网网址檇 ridden a bike as a kid but nothing since,B次元官网网址� Mitchell said.

B次元官网网址淚 had dreamt of going to the Olympics, and in the back of my mind you want to go and you want to win. So to have a gold medal, itB次元官网网址檚 pretty surreal.B次元官网网址�

She is the second Canadian woman to win track cycling gold in an individual event following Lori-Ann MuenzerB次元官网网址檚 sprint gold in 2004.

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Mitchell and Muenzer met four years ago, just after Cycling Canada had first approached Mitchell about joining their team. MitchellB次元官网网址檚 aunt was in MuenzerB次元官网网址檚 spin class and suggested she take part to meet the former Olympian.

B次元官网网址淚 went up and introduced myself and I said, B次元官网网址業 want to try track cycling and I want to go to the Olympics,B次元官网网址� and she was probably like, B次元官网网址榃ho the hell is this girl?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Mitchell. B次元官网网址淏ut she was super nice and was like, B次元官网网址極h, thatB次元官网网址檚 awesome.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚t was a long time ago. It feels like it was a really long time ago, but I guess it was only four years.B次元官网网址�

Elsewhere at the velodrome, CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Allison Beveridge finished ninth in the womenB次元官网网址檚 omnium.

The only other event featuring Canadians on the final day was the menB次元官网网址檚 marathon, where simply finishing the race was no mean feat. Thirty men in the field of 106 didnB次元官网网址檛 finish.

Ben Preisner was the top Canadian, finishing 46th in his Games debut. CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Trevor Hofbauer was 48th, while Cam Levins, of Black Creek, B.C., hung with the lead group through the first half of the race, but faded over the final 10 kilometres to finish 72nd in 2:28.43.

B次元官网网址淚 really wanted to finish out of respect for a guy like Tristan Woodfine (who qualified but wasnB次元官网网址檛 selected for the team),B次元官网网址� Levins said. B次元官网网址淚 felt like it was only right to finish this race, and only three of us got to go. And so, yeah, I think thatB次元官网网址檚 kind of what motivated me to stay in.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to call yourself an Olympic athlete if you canB次元官网网址檛 even finish the race B次元官网网址� so, wanting to do my best to get through it no matter how slow or tough the second half was.B次元官网网址�

Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, the defending champion and world record-holder, pulled away over the final 10 kilometres to win gold.

Overall, Team Canada has plenty of reasons to be thrilled with its performance in Tokyo. Warner in the decathlon, the womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer team, Andre De Grasse in the menB次元官网网址檚 200 metres and womenB次元官网网址檚 eight rowing crew captured Olympic titles in high-profile events.

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Mitchell, swimmer Maggie Mac Neil and weightlifter Maude Charron also topped the podium as CanadaB次元官网网址檚 women Olympians once again made up the vast majority of the medals.

Swimmer Penny Oleksiak won three medals in Tokyo to become CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most decorated Olympian with seven career medals, while De Grasse won three to give him six overall, the most all-time among Canadian men.

But where there is Olympic ecstasy, Olympic agony is rarely far behind. Canada also had its share of close calls and disappointments.

Cyclist Michael Woods finished just off the podium in the menB次元官网网址檚 road race on the first day medals were awarded at the Games. Two-time Olympic champion trampoline gymnast Rosie MacLennan, the womenB次元官网网址檚 4x400 relay team, weightlifter Boady Santavy, divers Meaghan Benfeito and Caeli McKay, artistic gymnast Ellie Black and even Oleksiak B次元官网网址� in two separate races B次元官网网址� were among those with fourth-place finishes.

Meanwhile, Canada came up empty in golf and tennis, two sports in which the nation is becoming a power.

B次元官网网址淣o point or second was ever easily taken from Team Canada,B次元官网网址� chef de mission Marnie McBean said.

B次元官网网址淲e saw there is a knife-edge difference between brilliance and breakdown. It takes bravery to believe in one when you know when you are risking the other.B次元官网网址�

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 successes were made more remarkable, however, considering they came with Tokyo in a state of emergency due to a rise on COVID-19 cases. Athletes also had to battle oppressive heat and humidity throughout the Games.

The Canadian Olympic Committee said none of its delegation had tested positive for the virus as of Sunday.

B次元官网网址淥ne of our key goals was to come to Tokyo and to return to Canada COVID-free,B次元官网网址� COC chief executive officer David Shoemaker said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e approached this as critical for our protection, critical for our performance goals and critical for the protection of our hosts here in Japan.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e come this far with zero COVID cases among the 840 athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers in the Team Canada delegation.B次元官网网址�

The Canadian Press

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