Quebec athlete named one of Canada's 2024 Olympic flag bearers

Maude Charron will carry the Canadian flag during Friday's Olympic opening ceremony in Paris. The athlete from Rimouski will also be defending her Olympic gold medal in weightlifting.

"It's such a great honour. I don't know enough words in English to describe how I'm feeling," Charron said in an interview.

Although her gold medal win in Tokyo was a major achievement, Charron says the pandemic restrictions took away from the experience. She says she's looking forward to doing it right this time around.

"It was such a different experience. And now, I'm not even there, and I feel like Tokyo is so, so different. And I see how Paris will be huge," the weightlifter said.

Sprinter Andre De Grasse is the second flag bearer.

"She was one of the better stories we had for Quebecers over there," RDS sports reporter Raphael Guillemette said.

"And she's coming back to fight for that title again. So being named flagbearer is the greatest of news. But I think it's only the beginning for what could be historic Olympics for her."

Guillemette added that Charron is just one of several Montrealer medal hopefuls to watch.

Montrealer Tammara Thibeault has her sights set on becoming first woman to win Olympic gold in boxing and the first Canadian boxer to medal since 1996.

"Tammara Thibeault lost in the quarterfinals in Tokyo, and she's gone undefeated since," Guillemette explained.

Felix Auger-Aliassime will return to the clay courts at Roland Garros, hoping to take advantage of a rare opportunity.

"The next ones are four years later. So, it adds something to it. I think that's the special thing that we don't have, in any other tennis competition. The fact that it's every four years. So, that adds pressure and a bit of excitement, and I think motivation," the tennis player said.

Gymnast Felix Dolci is going into his first Olympics as the Pan American champion and could be an exciting young Montrealer to watch, according to Guillemette.

"It's the Olympics. There are many surprises that can happen. So, you never know what Cinderella story you could get with Felix Dolci."

The one piece of advice that Charron has is to bask in the moment.

"I would say put down your phone and take mental pictures."

The games begin with the opening ceremony on Friday at 1:30 p.m.