With Penny Oleksiak as the flag-bearer, Canada will close out a successful Olympics where the focus was back on the athletes, not the inner working of the COC

RIO DE JANEIRO – The tall, teenaged swimmer chosen to carry the Canadian flag at the Olympic closing ceremonies leaves these games decorated in unprecedented and extraordinary fashion and having gone through every emotion imaginable.

Still, she was a little emotional talking about it.

“I’m super-honoured just to be able to carry the flag for Canada and to lead all these athletes who have worked so hard to get here,” Penny Oleksiak said. “Just going to be really happy and excited.”

Oleksiak was certainly the top candidate for the job although there was certainly plenty of support for sprinter Andre De Grasse. De Grasse arguably was the most high-profile Canadian at these Games partly because of his accomplishments but also as a co-star in the Usain Bolt show, which was the biggest show in Rio. But his medal (and metal) count didn’t match up with the 16-year-old from Toronto.

Canadian chef de mission Curt Harnett, who along with new Canadian Olympic Committee president Tricia Smith was among those who selected the flag bearer, said Oleksiak has shown she is “fearless, focused and an inspiration to all Canadians. She exemplifies what it means to be an Olympian.”

The 22 total medals won by Canadian athletes (through noon Sunday) could have been more, of course. Three oh-so-close fourth-place finishes Saturday in track and field were among the results that almost, but didn’t quite happen to pad that total.

Harnett said the 43 total top-five finishes were well beyond the projected number of 35. In terms of total medals, Canada currently stands 10th; in terms of gold medals, the four is the same number as New Zealand.

“Certainly top-12 has been a goal that we’ve expressed, and it looks now we’re in the top 10. As athletes we always look to improve our performances,” Smith said. “We’ve talked about top-8 in the past; there’s a price tag to that, and we’ll have to look at that price tag and see if that’s something we can do.

“We want to make sure we have goals that are aspirational. We want to make sure we’re out there and doing all we can do to be the best in the world. We owe that to our athletes,” she added.

Smith has been a discreet presence during the games, her first as COC president after winning an election last November in the wake of the resignation of disgraced longtime predecessor Marcel Aubut,

The Vancouver lawyer and former rower (a silver medalist in Los Angeles in 1984), won the job with promises of change and must preside over what will at needs to at least be perceived as a complete overhaul of the Olympic Association, after clear questions about its internal governance and accountability emerged during the harassment scandal.

There were a few notable departures from the COC, but whatever changes occur will come with many of the same high-level managers and executives who turned a blind eye on Aubut’s years of inappropriate behaviour still on board.

However, with so many great stories out of these Rio Games, the focus for the moment has been back where it should be – on the athletes.

Smith said that whatever issues were of concern coming in – and they were multiple – the Rio experience has been first class in every way.

“Some of the challenges were with the village – some things that weren’t quite ready. And we worked with locals to get that done, and it turned out to be an amazing and positive experience. We’re all signed up for them to come and renovate our houses after,” Smith said. “I’m a glass half full kind of person: the challenges that happened sort of made our team stronger.

“A testament to the strength of our team behind the team that they worked with the local organizers, local people that came out and helped us, and we made a great Games together” she added.

Smith also was elected to the International Olympic Committee just before the Games began. So she has some tricky waters to navigate there as well including doping, and the alleged corruption by longtime IOC members like Patrick Hickey of Ireland.

“We only know what we read in the news, and aren’t privy to any further information than that. We have to let the process take its course,” Smith said of Hickey.

“I’m going to listen, see what their position is, look where we can make some concrete changes. I think there is a will, I think there’s an opportunity to make those changes now and I’m looking forward to being part of it. And I’m not going to let up until some changes are made,” Smith said about the ongoing doping issues.

Smith may have attended a lot of meetings this week but for Oleksiak, it’s been a week of chilling.

“Sleeping, and eating a lot of junk food, a lot of McDonald’s, trying to catch up with all my friends I haven’t talked to yet. Saw my family. It was fun this last week just to chill out,” she said. “I have talked to a few young girls, and younger athletes and I hope I can inspire them to take up a sport or get more interested in sport,” she added. “It’s been a pretty great feeling for me to know that people look up to you or are trying something new when they see you excel in it.”