Canadians send off their Rio 2016 hopefuls with Brazilian beach party
Athletes and fans get into the Olympic spirit with Brazil-themed party at Woodbine Beach in Toronto
Canada's athletes will soon be boarding the flight to Brazil. At London 2012, the women's football team won an unexpected bronze (Photo: Getty Images/Stanley Chou)
This Friday (1 July) is Canada Day, when Canadians come together to celebrate the country's birthday back in 1867. With just over one month until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, this year Canadian sports fans gathered at Woodbine Beach in Toronto to give the country's Olympians a warm send-off ahead of their journey to Brazil.
Sports stars participating in the event included Olympic trampoline gold medallist Rosie MacLennan and world champion pole vaulter Shawn Barber, who will be heading to his first Olympic Games.
The festivities had a Rio theme, with performers at the beach including a Brazilian band and a group of carnival dancers.
In addition to Barber, others joining the party included Rio hopefuls in athletics Khamica Bingham, Bismark Boateng, Philip Osei, Alysha Newman and Jelissa Westney; swimmer Javier Acevedo; boxers Arthur Biyarslanov and Mandy Bujold; fencers Maxime Brinck-Croteau, Eleanor Harvey and Joseph Polossifakis; diver Max Bouchard; wrestlers Michelle Fazzari and Jillian Gallays; and gymnast Scott Morgan, who has just been nominated to his first Olympic Games.
Also at the Beach Party, the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled the 2016 Lucky Loonie dollar, a special commemorative coin, with Canadian Olympians participating in the launch event. Ever since Athens 2004, every Canadian athlete heading to the Olympic and Paralympic Games has received a lucky coin from the Mint.
