Canada totals 26 medals, including four gold, in Beijing

BEIJING — Canada's team in Beijing's Winter Olympics navigated the COVID-19 virus, made it to the start line and brought home a lot of medals.

About 125 people in Canada's delegation of 555 athletes, coaches, support and mission staff had contracted the virus in the weeks before the opening ceremonies, according to Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive officer David Shoemaker.

All but one of 215 athletes were able to fully compete in their events. Keegan Messing didn't make it to Beijing in time for figure skating's team event, but arrived to skate in the men's competition.

"Our goal was to ensure no athlete was deprived of an opportunity to compete," Shoemaker said Sunday at the main press centre. "I feel quite good with how we handled that."

A handful of athletes were shedding the virus upon landing in Beijing and did isolate initially, Shoemaker said, with the COC convincing the organizing committee's medical panel they were safe to compete.

Canada's 26 medals — four gold, eight silver and 14 bronze — ranked fourth in the medal table behind Norway (37), Russia (32) and Germany (27) and ahead of the United States (24)

Four gold slotted Canada 11th, and was the lowest since three in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. Canada's bottom line in Beijing was bolstered by a record number of bronze medals.

"Completely satisfied with that performance," Shoemaker said. "I think that puts us in the company that we always aspire to compete with.

"Let's not gloss over how difficult these last two years were for Team Canada that in my estimation had to endure the most restrictive COVID protocols of any nation."

The 26 medals in Beijing matched Canada's output in Vancouver and Whistler B.C. in 2010 for the second-highest in Winter