The Canadian Olympic delegation entered the Bird's Nest National Stadium at the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday night, with star kayaker Adam van Koeverden carrying the Maple Leaf.

It was Canada's second largest delegation in Olympic history, which includes 332 athletes.

The 26-year-old van Koeverden, who won gold and bronze medals in flatwater kayaking at the 2004 Athens Games, is one of Canada's top medal hopefuls at the Beijing Olympics.

He also had the honor of carrying the flag at the closing ceremony at the Athens Games.

Canada targets at a top 16 finish at the medal table, with the strongest possibilities from canoe/kayak, rowing, diving, swimming, athletics, sailing and trampoline.

The Canadian team bagged 12 medals in the Athens Games, placing 19th in the overall medal count.

Canada first participated in the Olympic Summer Games in 1900 in Paris and has sent athletes to every edition since, except the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.

With a total of 42 medals, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics were by far Canada's most successful Games.

Canada hosted the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and left with only five silver and six bronze medals. It was the first and only time in Olympic history that the host country of the Summer Games won no gold medals.

The Olympics were a financial disaster for Montreal, as the city faced debts for 30 years after the Games had finished, which pushed the International Olympic Committee and later host countries to pay attention to the budget and expenditure.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2008)