Athletes get special send-off on way to 2024 Summer Olympics

Spirits were high at Toronto's Pearson Airport on Wednesday as some Canadian Olympians got a special send-off before they boarded a flight to Paris for the 2024 Summer Games.

Flight and ground crew members, along with excited fans, cheered on the Team Canada athletes as they walked to their gate. Canada is sending 338 athletes in all to the Paris Olympics. About 20 left Terminal 1 at the airport on Wednesday.

Scarlett Finn, 22, a member of Canada's artistic swimming team, told CBC News that she is looking forward to getting in the pool and being surrounded by so many athletes. Finn has been an artistic swimmer for 13 years and a member of national team since 2020.

"It's so special being here with my team. We all worked so hard over the past few years to make it happen and I'm just so incredibly grateful to be part of this team to achieve our dream," Finn said.

"We all trust each other so much and we just get along so well. We're just one big family."

There was plenty of entertainment ahead of boarding, including breakdancers and freestyle soccer performers.

Canadian breakdancing sensation Phil Kim, better known as B-Boy Phil Wizard, said he is looking forward to competing in Paris.

"This is kind of history for us in the making. It's the first time as breaking makes its debut and I'm very, very excited and also very, very nervous," Kim said.

"I never imagined this at all. I've said this many times, I didn't really grow up watching the Olympics, to be honest. It wasn't something that was on my radar because I've always just watched breaking, but honestly, I've been scrolling Instagram for the past little while and you see all the people at the Village and it's just been getting me so amped up. And I'm excited to be there with my friends, my family and the rest of Team Canada," Kim added.

"I want people to know that breaking has a lot more complexity than people think. A lot of people think it's just spinning on your head and doing all these crazy movements, which it definitely is, but there's a lot of creativity. There's a lot of difficulty besides that to it, and I'm really excited for people to see it for the first time."

The opening ceremony is on Friday July 26, featuring a first-of-its-kind boat parade of athletes on the Seine river. 

Six-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse and Olympic weightlifting champion Maude Charron have been named Canada's flag-bearers for the opening ceremony on Wednesday.