Canada’s Olympians are gearing up for the start of the Winter Games, as they prepare to follow Canadian flag bearers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir into the Olympic Stadium Friday in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
But 30 years ago, Canadians athletes were also preparing to compete for gold in South Korea.
The summer of 1988 saw 354 Canadians march in the opening ceremony for the Seoul Games, as they followed flag bearer and synchronized swimmer Carolyn Waldo into what at the time was the best attended Olympics ever, with 159 countries competing.
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Equestrian team member Ian Millar appeared in his fifth of 11 Olympic Games, while Ben Johnson, the world’s fastest man at the time, had Seoul buzzing as he prepared to claim gold in the 100-metre race.
Heading into Seoul, Canada was predicted to finish 10th in the medal count but only managed to win 10 medals, fewer than the 15 they were anticipated to capture.
The Soviet Union, East Germany and the U.S. finished at the top of the medal table, which was also the first Olympic Games all three nations had attended at the same time in 12 years.
However, unlike this year’s Games, North Korea boycotted the 1988 Olympics, supported by Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua, after the IOC refused to give North Korea co-host status.
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