LAUSANNE — Calgary skier Andrew Longino has been named Canada’s flag-bearer for Wednesday’s closing ceremony at the Youth Olympics.
The 17-year-old skier captured Canada’s first and only gold medal at the Games on Tuesday in the men’s freeski halfpipe event.
“It’s a huge honour,” Longino told CBC Sports. “I’ve been watching the Olympics since I was a kid and to lead Canada into the closing ceremony, I don’t really have words to describe it. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Longino received the news from Team Canada chef de mission Annamay Oldershaw just minutes after being awarded his gold medal in front of hundreds of people at the medal plaza in Lausanne.
“It’s been a really great day. I’ve never had this much attention in my life. I feel so lucky to be doing this,” he said.
“To bring the flag in and lead the country in [Wednesday] night will be so special.
BREAKING<br><br>Calgary skier Andrew Longino just named ??flag-bearer for tomorrow’s Youth Olympics Closing Ceremony. <br><br>He captured Canada’s first and only gold medal ?on Tuesday. <br><br>Here’s our conversation moments after he learned the news. <a href=”https://twitter.com/CBCOlympics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CBCOlympics</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lausanne2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Lausanne2020</a> <a href=”https://t.co/8asoGFinv9″>pic.twitter.com/8asoGFinv9</a>
Earlier in the day, Longino won the mens’ halfpipe ski event to capture Canada’s first gold medal at the Youth Olympics.
His key to golden success? The sweet sounds of Elton John.
Just before dropping into the halfpipe at the Leysin Park and Pipe venue for his final run, Longino was blasting Elton John’s Rocketman into his headphones, the music simultaneously calming him and motivating him before laying down the best performance of the day.
“I usually listen to rap before my runs but on the flight over I watched the Rocketman movie. It pumped me up,” Longino said. “I’m getting into the Elton John now. Rocketman blasting off. That’s me. It’s my new favourite song. It got me fired up.”
Longino twisted and turned his body as he launched out of the halfpipe, spinning his skis and shooting himself into the air along the sunbathed Swiss Alps.
On this memorable day the 17-year-old wasn’t going to be beat, in a different skiing stratosphere and rocketing to the top of the podium. His final run score of 94.00 was eight points better than the next competitor.
“It’s amazing. I’m so grateful to have this experience,” Longino said. “Winning is an amazing bonus. I’m super happy to be able to represent my country.”
Andrew Longino competes in the men’s slopestyle qualification event on Monday. (Thomas Skrlj/COC/CBC)
Less than 24 hours before Longino’s golden performance on Tuesday, he failed to qualify for the men’s freeski slopestyle event, finishing 17th out of 26.
But instead of letting the disappointment set the tone for the rest of his Games, Longino embraced the moment and refocused for the halfpipe.
WATCH | Calgary’s Andrew Longino grab Canada’s first gold medal in Swiss Alps:
Canadian Andrew Longino wins the mens’ halfpipe ski event with a top run score of 94.00. 1:26
“I’ve been watching sports my whole life. The Olympics. To wear the maple leaf on my chest is just a really special feeling,” he said Monday after his final qualification run.
But on Tuesday, with his mother Sally, father Dave, and grandfather Dave Thomas all in attendance watching, Longino skied to gold.
Andrew Longino with mom Sally. (Devin Heroux/CBC Sports)“It’s been amazing. Kids screaming and cheering you on. It’ s a really special feeling to be able to compete for Canada,” Longino said.
Longino started skiing when he was nine. Sally said it’s been remarkable to watch her son complete and said she’s never seen her son so excited for a competition.
“The day before he left for the Youth Olympics, he told me this was the most excited he’s been in his life,” she said.
Before every competition throughout his life, she sends her son a note of good luck. Tuesday was no different.
“All I tell him is to have some fun out there, my boy, and that I love you. I text him that every morning. He doesn’t respond. He just knows that I’m thinking about him,” she said.
Andrew says it means the world to him to have the support of his parents.
“They both text me this morning. My dad told me I shouldn’t be nervous and that he’s proud of me regardless of what happens,” Longino said. “I can’t believe I just won gold at the Youth Olympics with them watching.”
WATCH | Liam Brearley wins 2nd medal of Games:
Canadian snowboarder Liam Brearley wins the bronze medal in halfpipe with a top run score of 82.00. 1:38
How Canada fared Tuesday:
Liam Brearley of Gravenhurst, Ont., won his second medal of the Youth Olympics, taking bronze in the men’s snowboard halfpipe. Brearley won silver in snowboard slopestyle on Monday.
In men’s hockey, Canada lost 2-1 to the U.S., and will play in the bronze-medal game on Wednesday.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
