Damian Warner to carry flag for Canada at Tokyo closing ceremony

The Canadian Olympic Team announced Saturday that decathlete Damian Warner will carry the Canadian flag for the Tokyo 2020 closing ceremony.

The 31-year-old from London, Ontario, won gold in the decathlon, setting a new Olympic record with a total of 9,018 points.

"Being named the flag bearer for this group of Team Canada athletes is a tremendous honor and an amazing way to cap what has been an unbelievable few days for me," said Warner. "What each of us has gone through over the past 18 months to even get to these Games is what makes Tokyo 2020 all the more special."

Warner will lead what's left of Canada's roster into Tokyo's Olympic Stadium for the festivities, which are set to begin Sunday at 7 a.m. ET.

It will be a far smaller group of athletes than at previous Olympics. Much of the Canadian contingent has already returned home, as COVID-19 guidelines dictate. Among those to have departed are swimmer Penny Oleksiak, who became Canada's most decorated Olympian with her seventh medal in the pool, as well as gold medallists Maggie Mac Neil, Maude Charron, and the women's eight rowing team.