Not far from home, Canadian canoeist Alex Baldoni impresses in Paris Olympic debut

Few Canadians are more familiar with France than canoe-kayak paddler Alex Baldoni.

Born and raised in nearby Pau, France, the 20-year-old has had childhood friends and family in the stands as he's paddled through the white water at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium during the Paris 2024 Olympics.

They're cheering him on, even if not in the French tricolour he was raised around.

"When I had the chance to choose a country, I chose Canada because it was a part of me I wanted to represent," Baldoni told CBC News. "I've been training in France for the first few years, and that's where I started canoeing. I have some friends who are going to be at the race, and there will be a lot of people cheering for all of us."

Qualifying for Paris through the 2024 Canoe Slalom Americas Olympic Qualifier in March, he comes into his Olympic debut with a chance to add to an already stellar resume, highlighted by a silver medal in men's kayak cross at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.

"I'm just so excited for the race to start, and I see all these legends around me, so that's making me a little nervous because they are all going for a medal as well," he said ahead of competition. "I'm just living the excitement, and it's a cool feeling."

Canoë-kayak