The Olympics are 1 year away, but Canada's Bruny Surin already 'having a blast' as chef de mission

Years ago, co-Canadian 100-metre record holder Bruny Surin met a young Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Auger-Aliassime, now a pro tennis player, politely greeted the track legend: "Oh, Mr. Surin!"

"I said, please call me Bruny, stop the business and everything," recalled Surin, who will serve as Canada's chef de mission for the Paris Olympics, which begin in exactly one year.

"I told him, listen, I can see you have very good potential. You can be up there. And once you get there, you're still in that environment — never forget where you come from. Always have your two feet on the ground. Don't have a big head."

One such athlete was the 22-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but was eliminated in the first round.

Surin said Auger-Aliassime recalled their first meeting when they spoke about two months ago.

"And I congratulated him, because to me a great athlete does not only perform well, but the way he behaves himself. Very humble. To me, that's what success is," Surin told CBC Sports.

Surin competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics between 1988 and 2000, highlighted by a gold medal as part of the men's 4x100 relay team at Atlanta 1996.

In 1999, Surin, who was born in Haiti but grew up in Montreal, matched Donovan Bailey's mark of 9.84 seconds in the 100 to win silver at the world championships.

He said his main message for athletes is to have fun with the entire Olympic process.

"People want you to have a medal, but don't put that extra pressure on yourself. Just go there. I always say to the athletes in every sport, never forget the fun factor. Yes, you go in there to perform and everything, [but] have fun — don't ever lose that side."

That joy evidently remains with Surin.

"All those