Canada's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics says having the Games in China are an "opportunity for dialogue" about some of the political and social problems in the communist nation.
Kayaker Adam van Koeverden told Canada AM on Thursday that a boycott of the Games, as proposed by figure skater Elvis Stojko, would ruin an opportunity to bring exposure to issues such as Tibet's fight for independence from Chinese rule.
"If people can't see that a boycott would potentially ruin the chances of highlighting those things through this great exposure and this huge stage and the 20,000-plus media travelling to China who are free to write about whatever they'd like, then I think they're really missing the point," van Koeverden said in an interview from Oakville, Ont.
Van Koeverden was preparing to hit the water as he continues to train for the men's individual 500 metre and 1,000 metre kayak races.
The gold-medal favourite in both races, van Koeverden was announced Wednesday as Canada's flag-bearer in Beijing.
"I'm more than honoured and privileged. It fills me with so much pride to (carry the flag)," van Koeverden told reporters on Wednesday. "I can't wait."
The 26-year-old had won both gold and silver medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, which led to his selection as flag-bearer for the closing ceremony of those Games. He was also named Canada's male athlete of the year.
The current world champion in the 500 metre discipline dismissed any concerns about a so-called curse of the flag-bearer.
Some Canadian athletes who have carried the flag at Olympic opening ceremonies have gone home without a medal, including figure skater Kurt Browning, decathlete Michael Smith and track star Charmaine Crooks.
"I think if I'm going to deal with the curse of the flag-bearer, I'll just follow in the steps of Alex Baumann who carried the flag in 1984 and went on to win two gold medals," van Koeverden said. "I don't believe in superstitions."
