TSN sports

Le May Doan to carry flag

(Jan 18) CALGARY (CP) - The Winter Olympics will give the world the opportunity to unite in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the United States, said Catriona Le May Doan, who was named Canada's flagbearer for the opening ceremonies on Friday.

The 31-year-old speed skater, who holds the world record in the 500 metres and won a gold medal at the Olympics in Nagano in 1998, said being named to carry the Maple Leaf was "such a great honour." She hopes the Games, which open Feb. 8, demonstrate people from different nations can come together in peace.

"We come together for the love and purity, for competing in sport, which is to be fun and in peace," said Le May Doan, speaking via satellite hookup from Hamar, Norway, where she is competing at this weekend's world sprint championships.

"If we just show that is possible, to all come together and join together and celebrate what the Olympics are all about, the spirit of the Games.

"This is a really important time, especially being in the United States. I truly believe this will be an example to the rest of the world."

Le May Doan carried the Canadian flag at the closing ceremonies of the Nagano Games after winning gold in the 500 metres and bronze in the 1,000.

She is undefeated in the 500 metres on the World Cup circuit this year.

The Saskatoon native, who now lives in Calgary, said she was speechless when Sally Rehorick, Canada's chef de mission in Salt Lake City, called to ask if she would be flagbearer.

"I was wowed by it all," said Le May Doan, named The Canadian Press female athlete of the year in 2001. She will be competing in her fourth Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

"I've had the experience and felt the thrill of walking into the opening ceremony and hearing Team Canada announced," said Le May Doan. "To be able to enter this opening ceremony carrying the flag will be one of the greatest memories of my sporting career and my life."

Le May Doan goes into the Olympics as one of Canada's strongest hopes for a gold medal.

"She is a person whose accomplishments are legendary," said Rehorick.

Canada is sending a team of 314 people, including 156 athletes - 90 men and 66 women. Quebec is sending most athletes with 46. St. Louis Blues defenceman Al MacInnis is the only athlete from Nova Scotia.

The Canadian squad boasts seven current world champions, making this one of the best Winter Olympic teams ever assembled.

Besides Le May Doan, other potential medal winners are the men's and women's hockey teams, figure skaters Elvis Stojko and Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, short-track speed skater Marc Gagnon, snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson, freestyle skiers Nicolas Fontaine and Veronica Brenner, and the curling rinks of Kevin Martin and Kelley Law,

"The fact we are taking a team that has such high quality speaks very highly of the possibilities here," said Rehorick.

The Canadian Olympic Association has set a goal of winning enough medals to finish third in the overall count. It would be Canada's most medals at a Winter Olympics.

Canada won 15 medals, including six gold and five silver, four years ago at Nagano.

Le May Doan will be the fourth speed skater to carry the Maple Leaf into the opening ceremonies and the first since Sylvie Daigle in 1992. She is also the fourth woman to have the honour, joining Daigle, figure skater Karen Magnussen (1972) and skier Nancy Greene (1968).

She dismissed any talk of a flagbearer jinx. Of the 16 previous flagbearers, 11 reached podiums. Freestyle skier Jean-Luc Brassard carried the flag in Nagano and then finished fourth in his event the next day.

He said his flag-carrying responsibilities may have contributed to missing the podium.

"It's not going to affect me," said Le May Doan, who spoke in both French and English. "I don't believe in that bad luck thing. It's just going to bring me more excitement and more pride and more passion for racing my best."

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