Who should be Canada's Olympic flag-bearers?

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Tomorrow morning, the Canadian Olympic team will announce its flag-bearers for the opening ceremony in northern Italy on Feb. 6. In keeping with the current International Olympic Committee guidelines, Canada will select one man and one woman to share the role.

So, this raises the classic pre-Olympics question: who should carry the Maple Leaf?

In real life, it's a tricky one because of the many logistical issues involved. For example, some athletes who compete later in the Games might not arrive until days after the opening ceremony. Others might be in the country, but their competition takes place in a far-flung location. And some might simply not want to do it, whether due to the pressure it puts on them or another personal reason.

For today, though, let's engage in a bit of fantasy flag-bearer picking and pretend that none of those complicating factors exist — everyone on the Canadian team is able and willing to do it. 

Here, then, are 10 athletes — five men, five women — who I think would be great choices to carry the Canadian flag:

Éliot Grondin: For me, an ideal opening ceremony flag-bearer is someone who has won an Olympic medal before and seems likely to do it again. The 24-year-old Grondin fits the bill as he captured two snowboard cross medals in 2022 (silver in the men's event, bronze in the mixed team) and is currently the reigning men's world champion and back-to-back World Cup title winner.

Ivanie Blondin: Another athlete who offers a great mix of past performance and promising future results, the 35-year-old long track speed skater won an individual