Poulin, Hamelin lead Canada into Beijing 2022

Canadian women's hockey captain Marie-Philip Poulin and short-track speedskater Charles Hamelin waved the Maple Leaf together as they entered the National Stadium on a clear but cold evening.

Bundled up in thick winter gear, they proudly held the flagpole as they led in the 100-strong contingent of Canadian athletes, team officials and support staff.

Sandwiched between Ghana and San Marino, Canada was 27th out of 91 countries to enter the stadium.

Canada didn't send any official representatives to the Games as part of a diplomatic boycott over China's record of human rights abuses. Canadian Olympic Committee president Tricia Smith waved to the athletes from the stands.

The ceremony had a more celebratory feel than the rather sombre opening ceremony at the Tokyo Games last summer, the first Olympics to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was the first ceremony since the COC switched to Lululemon as its outfitter after a 16-year run with Hudson's Bay.

Canada won 29 medals at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the most by a Canadian team at a single Winter Olympics.