Canada's Charron is an Olympic weightlifting champion. The challenge now is to repeat at a lighter weight

Like Canadian opening ceremony flag-bearer Maude Charron, Nicolas Vachon found himself in the weightlifting wilderness.

As the International Olympic Committee cut the number of weight classes from seven to five, both Canadians were left on the outs, needing to either gain or lose mass in order to continue competing.

They each chose the latter.

Vachon went from 81 to 73 kilograms in three months. The hardest part of the weight loss for the 28-year-old, who did not qualify for the Olympics, was quite relatable.

"You're always a little bit hungry. So I try to find some solution like don't eat after 8 p.m. because at this time it's nothing you need to eat. It's more like a treat or something," Vachon said.

"But at the end of the day, yes, it's difficult, but to be an elite athlete, there's no choice [but] for you to do that."

WATCH | Charron goes 1-on-1 with CBC Sports' Ariel Helwani:

Charron, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo at 64 kilograms, is now set to compete in Paris in the 59kg category. Beyond the weight loss, Charron will now have to go against Taiwan's Hsing-Chun Kuo, who set an Olympic record at the last Games.

The event begins Thursday at 9 a.m. ET, with live coverage available across CBC Olympics platforms and CBC Gem.

In an individual sport like weightlifting, though, Charron's focus has been on herself and her form heading into these Games.

Ahead of the opening ceremony, she told CBC Sports' Scott Russell that she's no longer stressed about the new weight class.

"I feel like this is my bodyweight category now and I belong there and I'm as strong as I was before," Charron, the 31-year-old from Rimouski, Que., said.

WATCH | Charron reacts to being named flag-bearer:

Charron lifted a total of 236 kilograms