Canadian team tracking for another strong Olympic Games after Tokyo record

Canada's team is poised for a banner Olympic Games in Paris despite safe-sport and financial turmoil since a record performance in Tokyo.

"I believe this is as strong a Team Canada that we've ever seen at the Summer Games," said Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker.

"I think the world needs these Olympic Games. I think Canada needs these Olympic Games. We need something to cheer for. We need to instil pride in flag and country and I can't think of an Olympic team that's better situated to do that than this one."

Preliminary competition got underway Wednesday in Paris ahead of Friday's opening ceremony that will feature a parade of countries on the Seine. Decorated sprinter Andre De Grasse and weightlifting champion Maude Charron were named Canada's flag-bearers Wednesday.

With no entries in men's soccer or men's rugby sevens Wednesday, the first Canadians to compete will be archers and the women's soccer team Thursday, when the latter opens defence of its gold medal against New Zealand in St-Etienne.

But the women's soccer team will be minus head coach Bev Priestman for the opener. She voluntarily removed herself Wednesday in the fallout from a team staff member filming a pair of New Zealand practices with a drone.

Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi were ousted from the team in Paris and sent home.

Canadian athletes claimed 24 medals in Tokyo in 2021 for the most at a non-boycotted Summer Olympics despite months of pandemic pivots in their preparation, and in a Games held in a state of emergency because of a coronavirus spike. Canada's seven gold medals equalled the most at a non-boycotted Games.

"We always go to every Games with a goal of doing better than we did the Games