| Canada at the 2004 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| IOC code | CAN |
| NOC | Canadian Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| in Athens | |
| Competitors | 263 in 28 sports |
| Flag bearer | Nicolas Gill[1] |
| Medals Ranked 21st |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |
Canada competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. Canadian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the country's support for the US-led boycott.
The Canadian Olympic Committee sent a total of 263 athletes, 130 men and 133 women, to take part in 28 sports. This was the nation's smallest delegation to the Games, since the nation boycotted the games in 1980. This had become a result of the COC changing its qualification standards, after a reduced medal showing at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, with the aim of sending fewer athletes but focusing its energy on those who have the best chance at winning medals. It has been suggested that the "logical response" of winning fewer medals was diverting funding away from sports where Canadians struggled (track and field) to ones where Canadians excelled (kayak and diving). Athletes that qualified for the Olympics would not be sent to Athens unless they had finished in the top twelve worldwide, a policy that was widely criticized as numerous Canadian Olympic medallists in past Games would have been excluded by such criteria. Over 50 Canadian athletes, including two-time Olympian marathoner Bruce Deacon, did not make the COC's "top 12" cutoff despite achieved the international qualifying standards in their respective sports. After 2004 the COC scrapped this policy but still maintains additional hurdles beyond international standards to ensure that athletes are in shape for the Olympics.[2]
Canada left Athens with a total of 12 medals (3 golds, 6 silver, and 3 bronze), the lowest in Summer Olympic history since 1988.[3] Canada's overall medal count had been dropping in the recent editions of the Summer Olympics, along with the totals for most developed countries as the developing nations capture comparatively more medals. Many expected Canada to win a similar number of medals as they did in 2000. Most of these medals were awarded to the athletes in canoeing, cycling, diving, and gymnastics. Sprint kayaker Adam van Koeverden became the most decorated athlete of the Games with two Olympic medals, including a gold in the men's K-1 500 m.[4]
The flag bearer was two-time Olympic medallist Nicolas Gill, a judoka. A mild controversy developed after it was revealed that Gill had made comments in favour of Quebec separatism, and had voted yes in the 1995 Quebec referendum.[1] Gill went on to lose his opening match and was eliminated from the tournament, which was seen as symbolic of Canada's 2004 Olympic woes.
- ^ a b "Judoka Nicolas Gill selected to carry the Canadian flag at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens". Canadian Olympic Committee. 19 July 2004. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ^ High Standards Archived 2016-09-14 at the Wayback Machine runningmagazine.ca June 2009
- ^ "2004 Athens: Medal Tally". USA Today. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ Starkman, Randy (26 June 2011). "Van Koeverden reinventing his Olympic strategy". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.