Paris 2024: Summer McIntosh and Ethan Katzberg selected as Canada's Closing Ceremony Flagbearers

The Closing Ceremony on 11 August represents the end of Paris 2024, which was filled with new records, outstanding comebacks and stories that left fans captivated.

Paris 2024 was Canada's most successful Summer Olympic appearance ever.

The North American nation won 27 medals, including nine golds, breaking its previous mark of 24 medals that was set at Tokyo 2020.

Sunday morning, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced that two of these gold medallists, Summer McIntosh and Ethan Katzberg, would represent the nation as Flagbearers at the Closing Ceremony.

Summer McIntosh's impressive Paris 2024

Swimmer McIntosh was at the epicenter of Canada's success at Paris 2024. In her second Games, at just 17 years old, she won gold in the women’s 200m fly, 400m medley and 200m medley, which she completed in an Olympic record time of 2:06.56. She also won silver in the 400m freestyle.

“It's pretty surreal. I'm just so proud of myself and how I’ve been able to recover and manage events,” McIntosh said. "The reason I'm able to do this is just because of all the hard work and dedication I've given to this moment, along with all my family and my teammates, and my coaches have also worked so hard for me to be here today.”

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to be the flag bearer representing so many tremendous athletes. It is such an honour to hold the flag for Canada. It means the world and I will wave it with pride," she added.

Ethan Katzberg's histroic Paris 2024

Katzberg also had a successful Games for Canada, winning the nation's first athletics hammer throw medal in 112 years. He recorded a distance of 84.12m on his first throw of the final. This attempt was just short of the Olympic Record of 84.80m, and was 4.15m more than silver medallist Bence Halasz of Hungary. Before Paris 2024, the 22-year-old won gold in the hammer throw at the 2023 Pan American Games and the 2023 World Championships. Now, Katzberg is a gold medallist on his Olympic debut.

“I am extremely honoured to be selected as one of Canada’s flag bearers for the Closing Ceremony. As a first-time Olympian, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have surpassed all of my expectations. I will carry the flag proudly along with Summer, and I am extremely grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said.