Are the Olympics still relevant? Canadians and Americans think so

Yesterday marked the closing of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Canada set a record for the number of medals won at a non-boycotted Summer Olympic Games, with 24. A recent study by Leger has taken a look at how relevant the Olympics are to Canadians and Americans, and whether or not international competitions are still something to celebrate in 2021.

According to the poll, 61% of Canadians and 62% of Americans think it is still relevant to hold major international competitions such as the Olympic Games. The provinces that find the Olympics most relevant are Quebec and British Columbia (63%). 18- to 34-year-olds are also far more likely to find the Olympics relevant, at 69%.

The study by Leger also found that the majority of Canadians followed the progress and competitions of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Canada closed out the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with 7 gold, 6 silver and 11 bronze medals — two more than at Rio 2016.

Some of the highlights from Tokyo 2020 include Penny Oleksiak becoming the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time, Andre De Grasse winning the gold medal in the 200m, Damian Warner winning the gold medal in the decathalon and of course the women’s soccer team winning their first ever gold medal at the Olympics.

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For more on Team Canada, please visit their website. To watch coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Canada via CBC, please click here.

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