Canadian Olympians thrilled to have family and friends in Paris after pandemic Games

When Canadian weightlifter Maude Charron competes for a second Olympic gold medal in Paris, she’ll be doing it in front of a large cheering section including her parents, siblings, training mates, former coaches and friends.

That’s in contrast to the 2021 Tokyo Games, when athletes competed in front of mostly empty stands due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Charron said she felt a feeling of “emptiness” in Tokyo, despite the magic of what she called a “perfect result.” This time around, she said it’s all about getting to experience the Games with some two-dozen family and friends.

“I have my medal in Tokyo,” she said. “Now I’ll be able to have my people there. As long as I have my picture with everyone and the [Olympic] rings, I can put it on my wall at home and that will be my medal.”

After the silent arenas and empty stands dampened the experience in Tokyo, several Canadian athletes said they’re thrilled for a return to competing in front packed stands full of friends and family.

Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, a member of the Tokyo gold medal-winning women’s eight rowing team, said she’d always pictured being able to celebrate an Olympic win by hugging her family.

“I’ve always wanted that moment and we didn’t get it [in Tokyo],” she said. “No matter the result, being able to have that moment will make it 100 per cent worth it for me.”

Sarah Mitton, a medal favourite in shot put, said Paris will be the first time her mother will see her compete in person. Growing up in Brooklyn, N.S., Mitton said her mother worked six or seven days a week and made many sacrifices for her and her brother.

Paris, she said, is “the first time that we’ve actually been in a financial position to do it and that it’s even an opportunity,” adding “I’m so excited to share that with her.”

‘If she’s happy, I’m happy’

Charron’s mother, Claire Garon, said she felt a pang when, through a TV screen, she watched her daughter cry when she made the lift that would secure her a podium spot in Tokyo. “I felt I wasn’t in the right place,” she said.

This time, she doesn’t want to miss the chance to be there in person to cheer on her daughter, regardless of the result.

“All I want is for my children to be happy, so if she’s happy, I’m happy, and I’ll share that with her,” Garon said in a phone interview, adding that some of the group were planning to wear matching shirts to cheer Charron on.

WATCH | Charron opens up to Ariel Helwani about defending her Olympic title:

Marg McGregor, who leads the Family and Friends program for the Canadian Olympic Committee, says upwards of 2,000 family members and close friends are expected to be in the stands in Paris.  McGregor said the buildup to Paris has been “crazy” after the more austere Olympics in Tokyo and Beijing in 2022.

“They love it,” she said. “If your child is in the Games, you put on your face paint and you scream until your throat is raw and it’s a dream come true for the families,” she said.

While competing athletes aren’t given free tickets for family and friends by the Olympic organizers, she said the COC works with a sponsor, Petro-Canada, to provide each athlete with two tickets for every event they’re competing in.

She said the COC also provides resources to families regarding practical matters such as transportation and ticketing, a dedicated lounge at Canada House for them to socialize, as well as webinars on how best to support Olympians. She said it’s a way of giving back to families — and helps to insulate the athletes from having to field too many questions from well-meaning relatives.

She said the advice given to families includes understanding that the arena is the athlete’s workplace and giving the distance that they need to focus on delivering their best performance.

Sprinter Aaron Brown, who ran with a picture of his wife and son under his race bib in Tokyo, said Paris will provide the opportunity for athletes and their families to have a more traditional Olympic experience, including meeting people from all over the world and sightseeing around the city. And then, of course, there’s the packed stands.

“There is nothing like that Olympic crowd where you hear that roar,” he said. “I had that in London 2012 and I always remember that vividly, like ‘Wow, this is the Olympics. This is that moment.’ It’d be great to have that again.”