Canada’s goal is to finish in the top 12 of the overall medal standings at the Rio Olympics, its Olympic Committee president said Wednesday, which would be its best finish in 20 years.
“One day, our vision, is to get top eight, and that’s an improvement on what happened in Beijing [2008] and what happened in London [2012],” Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut said, according to the Canadian Press.
Canada has recently been strongest in canoeing, diving and rowing. Diving stalwarts Alexandre Despatie and Emilie Heymans have retired since London 2012.
In track and field, high jumper Derek Drouin, heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton and decathlete Damian Warner won Commonwealth Games gold in 2014.
The men’s basketball team is on the upswing, too, looking for its first Olympic berth since 2000.
Here are Canada’s overall medal standings finishes the last several Olympics, via sports-reference.com:
2012: 14th
2008: 13th
2004: 19th
2000: 18th
1996: 11th
1992: 15th
1988: 19th
1984: Fourth