Charlie Beatty and Chloe Fediuk selected as Canada's Gangwon 2024 opening ceremony flag bearers
The Winter Youth Olympic Games begin on Friday.
The Canadian Olympic Committee named Team Canada’s opening ceremony flag bearers for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games on Wednesday, selecting freestyle skier Charlie Beatty and curler Chloe Fediuk.
The flag bearers were selected by the COC’s Selection Committee, which includes Canada’s Gangwon 2024 Chef de Mission — two-time Olympic curler Lisa Weagle. Weagle informed the athletes with video calls prior to departing for South Korea.
Beatty, 16, is one of Canada’s top freestyle skiing prospects. He is the reigning junior world champion in slopestyle, and has been competing on the senior World Cup circuit. He has ambitions of making Team Canada for Milano Cortina 2026.
“As a Youth Olympic Games athlete, given the honour of being a flag bearer for Team Canada is a tremendous source of both excitement and pride,” said Beatty in a press release. “When I heard the news, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and humility.”
“This opportunity signifies for me the unwavering determination and pursuit of excellence that all Canadian athletes possess. As a part of the freestyle skiing community, we are a united family. When I carry our Canadian flag, I will be sharing the unity not only within my sport, but with each Canadian athlete competing at Gangwon 2024 and with everyone who has supported my journey to get here.”
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Fediuk, 17, will play third with the mixed curling team in Gangwon, but plays second with her junior women’s team. At the 2023 World Junior-B Curling Championships, Fediuk and Canada won silver, qualifying Canada for the 2024 World Junior Curling Championships in Finland in February. Her team from Alberta also won silver at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, and took gold at the Canadian Under-21 and Under-18 championships, becoming the first team to win both in the same season.
“I was in disbelief when I got the call from Lisa Weagle that I was selected as the female Opening Ceremony flag bearer for Team Canada,” said Fediuk in a press release. “It didn’t sink in until later that day when I said it out loud and I was overcome with emotion. Excited is an understatement of how I’ve felt since I received the news; it is truly an honour to be granted this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“I stand proud and remain humble throughout this journey, knowing there are so many people to thank along the way who have contributed to my success. I am grateful for sport and the opportunities it has given me to be part of something so extraordinary. The moment when I proudly carry the Canadian flag alongside Canada’s most talented youth athletes will be one I’ll cherish forever.”
In addition to their impressive sporting resumes, both athletes are active in their communities and at the grassroots levels of their sports.
Beatty began a “Shred Cancer” ski and snowboard event, raising over $25,000 for the local hospital in Ontario, as well as speaking at local schools and daycares to encourage children to participate in sports. Fediuk supports learn-to-curl clinics in her community, helping beginners get involved in the sport.
“Chloe and Charlie were selected as flag bearers not only for their exceptional sporting accomplishments, but also their leadership, character and passion for sport,” said Weagle in a press release. “As they proudly carry the maple leaf into the Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, they have the power to inspire all of Team Canada to perform their best and represent their country with pride, as well as motivate the next generation to pursue sporting excellence.”
“Chloe and Charlie are great athletes, but it is their character off the field of play as well as their commitment to building up their communities and promoting sport to younger audiences that truly make them perfect choices to lead this young Team Canada into the Opening Ceremony,” added Eric Myles, Chief Sport Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Gangwon 2024 will officially open on Friday, January 19 and continue through Thursday, February 1. Approximately 1,900 athletes — 79 of them Canadian — aged 15-18 will be competing, across seven sports, 15 disciplines, and a total of 81 events.
The Games will reuse many of the venues from the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang — where Canadian athletes won 29 medals, their highest total ever.
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