MILAN, ITALY – Two skaters who are leaving Milano Cortina 2026 with multiple medals will serve as Team Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearers.
Long track speed skater Valérie Maltais, who won a gold and two bronze medals, and short track speed skater Steven Dubois, who won a gold and a silver, will have the honour of carrying the maple leaf into the historic Verona Arena on Sunday.
Maltais, along with Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann, successfully defended their Olympic title in the women’s team pursuit after capturing gold together at Beijing 2022. A five-time Olympian, Maltais also won her first individual Olympic medals, taking bronze in the 3000m and 1500m events.
The 35-year-old received the news that she would be one of Canada’s flag bearers not long after competing in the women’s mass start final—an event that saw her finish an impressive fifth after an early fall put her at the back of the pack. That’s what the Olympic Games are all about, said Maltais.
“It’s not just about the medals, it’s about never giving up and giving your best. I think today, I proved that other side of what it is to be an Olympian and I’m really proud of that.”
This was the fifth Olympic Games for Maltais, who competed at Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 in short track, helping Canada win a silver in the women’s 3000m relay in Sochi. She made the switch to long track in the summer of 2018 and went on to compete in three events on the big oval at Beijing 2022. At Milano Cortina 2026, she improved her finishes in both the 3000m and mass start along with winning a second gold in the team pursuit. Her bronze in the 1500m was her first ever international medal at that distance.
Dubois, meanwhile, captured gold in the men’s 500m, improving from the bronze medal he won at Beijing 2022. He also helped Canada win silver in the mixed relay along with Kim Boutin, Courtney Sarault, William Dandjinou, Félix Roussel and Florence Brunelle. Dubois teamed up with Boutin, Sarault, and Dandjinou in the semifinals.
“I didn’t think I was going to get the honour right now, it’s a surprise,” Dubois said after receiving the flag bearer news from Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Chef de Mission. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. I’m so happy.”
This was the second Olympic Games for the 28-year-old. In Beijing, along with the 500m bronze, Dubois also won gold in the men’s 5000m relay and a bronze in the 1500m. He is now also a five-time Olympic medallist.
Team Canada was led into the Opening Ceremony by moguls skier Mikaël Kingsbury and ski cross athlete Marielle Thompson.
The Opening Ceremony at Milano Cortina 2026 was a unique event. Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium served as the primary venue for but because of the large footprint for these Games, which were spread across several regions of northern Italy, there were simultaneous athlete parades in Livigno—where Kingsbury and Thompson marched—as well as Predazzo and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
On Sunday, all athletes remaining in Italy will be transported to the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheatre dating back to 30 A.D.