Canada chooses gold medalists Charron, De Grasse as flag bearers

Olympic gold medalists Maude Charron and Andre De Grasse will be Canada's flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Games, the Canadian Olympic team announced Wednesday.

Both athletes won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Charron claimed the title in the women's 64kg weightlifting competition, and De Grasse won the men's 200m race on the track.

Charron is the first weightlifter to be a Canadian flag bearer. She will compete in the 59kg contest in Paris, as the 64kg discipline was removed from the Games.

"It's hard to believe that I was the one chosen. There are so many good athletes on the team," said the second-time Olympian.

De Grasse is Canada's most decorated male Olympian with six medals across the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Since track and field events take place during the second week of the Games, De Grasse has never attended an Olympic opening ceremony.

"It's definitely a dream come true not just be able to go to the Olympic ceremony, but now to be the flag bearer," De Grasse said.

The opening ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday.