Curt Harnett named chef de mission for Rio Olympics

Three-time Olympic track cyclist Curt Harnett has been appointed Canada’s chef de mission for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games by the Canadian Olympic Committee. Harnett won three medals at the Olympics over the course of his career. At the Los Angeles games in 1984 he won a silver medal in the 1000-m time trial, in Barcelona 1992 he won a bronze medal in the match sprint and in Atlanta 1996 he repeated as bronze-medalist in the match sprint.

>>Read about the six track cycling events Canada earned spots in for Rio

“It’s a great honour and privilege to be named chef de mission and I look forward to bringing all of my Pan Am and Olympic experience to the table to support our athletes and coaches ambitions in Rio,” said Harnett. “I look forward to leading our incredible Canadian team and working closely with the COC to ensure our athletes have everything that they need to compete and win against the best in the world.”

In 2005, Harnett was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and he served as the chief de mission for Team Canada at the Pan Am Games in Toronto 2015. The role of chef de mission involves supporting the Canadians Olympic athletes in a leadership capacity during the games.

>> Read our full feature on Curt Harnett

Harnett is replacing former Olympic freestyle skier Jean-Luc Brassard who stepped down from the position of chief de mission just four months before the Olympics get underway in August. CBC reported that Brassard is stepping down from the position because he was dissatisfied with the COC’s handling of the allegations of sexual harassment by former president Marcel Aubut. The official explanation by the COC is that Brassard is leaving for “business and personal reasons.”