September 15, 2004

Benoit to carry flag at Paralympics

ATHENS (CP) - Chantal Benoit will kick off her sixth Paralympic Games by leading the Canadian team into Athens Olympic Stadium during Friday's opening ceremony.

Benoit, a veteran wheelchair basketball player who lives in Orleans, Ont., was named Canada's flag-bearer on Wednesday. "This is a delegation of 144 athletes it's just unfortunate that flag is not big enough to have the hands of those 144 persons," said Benoit. "I take it as a huge privilege to be part of a country like Canada."

Benoit is among several experienced athletes on the 144-member Canadian team. More than two-thirds of the athletes competed in Sydney four years ago.

"Chantal was the ideal candidate to carry the flag," said Canadian chef de mission Louis Barbeau "Over the last twenty years, her leadership and involvement on and off the court widely contributed to the promotion and development of Paralympic sport in Canada."

Swimmer Elisabeth Walker and track athlete Earle Connor were also considered as flag-bearers.

Benoit is one of six Canadian athletes competing at the Games for a sixth time. She made her debut in 1984. Times have changed since then when the Games were unknown and struggling. The 2004 Paralympics are the second-largest multisport Games event in the world, behind only the Summer Olympics.

"From Canada's point of view, the coaching and the administration of the national sports organizations are getting better," Benoit said of the changes she's seen. "The calibre is a lot better than it was 30 years ago and it's going increase each and every year."

In Sydney, Canada captured a record 96 medals to finish fourth behind Australia, Great Britain and Spain in the overall standings.

This time around, team officials have predicted the 144-member team will snag between 70 and 80 medals in sports such as track, cycling and rugby.

Some 4,000 athletes representing 146 countries will take part in the 19-sport Paralympics in Athens, which wrap up Sept. 28. Two thousand team officials will also be on hand, as will 15,000 volunteers.

Benoit says the Americans, Australia and Germany will be Canada's biggest challenge in wheelchair basketball.

"We are confident that we can perform well," she said.

The 44-year-old Benoit says she hopes she can compete in a seventh Games.

"I don't think it's going to be my last Paralympics," she said. "I'm still so young."

reprinted with permission