Isabelle Weidemann of Ottawa, Ontario was the flag bearer for Canada in the closing ceremonies of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing on Sunday. Weidemann won three medals for Canada in long track speed skating–gold in the women’s team pursuit with Ivanie Blondin, also of Ottawa, Ontario, and Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Quebec, silver in the women’s 5000 metres and bronze in the women’s 3000 metres.
Weidemann becomes the fifth Canadian female speed skater to carry the flag for Canada in the closing ceremonies. She follows Cathy Priestner of Windsor, Ontario at the 1976 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Sylvia Burka of Winnipeg, Manitoba at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, Catriona Le May Doan of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, and Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg, Manitoba at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin.
In all, Canada won 26 medals at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing–three more medals than we projected in our pre-Olympic predictions. The fact that Canada won a bronze medal in ski jumping, Canada’s first Olympic medal in the history of the sport, was one of the most stunning surprises at the entire Olympic Winter Games. Canada’s 26 medals was the fourth most overall. They were only behind Norway (37), the Russian Olympic Committee (32), and Germany (27).