Nunavummiut in Paris: Clyde River residents attend Olympic Games

Jessy Dietz from Clyde River is proudly walking with the Nunavut flag all over the 2024 Summer Olympic Games site in Paris, France.

“I’m just so happy to be where I am,” said Dietz, who travelled more than 4,000 kilometres to watch the prestigious international sporting competition that runs from July 26 to Aug. 11.

He was accompanied on the journey to Paris by Claus Vogel, a school principal from Clyde River who is volunteering with Team Canada at Canada Olympic House, the team’s home base at the Games.

They arrived just before the opening, on July 24, and will stay in Paris until Aug. 19.

Dietz, a student at the University of Calgary, said he and Vogel picked up the Nunavut flag during a stopover in Ottawa on their way to France. They already had smaller flags at home but opted to find larger ones to show off at the Olympics.

“I was like, ‘we’re going to the world stage, the entire world is going to be here and everyone needs to see our flag,’ and we’ve been walking around proudly with them,” Dietz said in an interview.

“It’s an incredible experience to just take in all of the culture and food and see all of these families celebrating their loved ones and family members.”

As of late Thursday afternoon, Canada was in ninth place in the medal standings with eight medals — three gold, two silver and three bronze. China was in first place with 11 gold medals.

Dietz spoke to Nunatsiaq News from Canada Olympic House, a gathering place for Canadian families, friends and fans to cheer on and celebrate the athletes.

For him, swimming was a must-see event, and he especially wanted to see Canada’s all-time most decorated Olympian, seven-time medal winner Penny Oleksiak, compete in the women’s 4×100-metre relay.

While Oleksiak and her relay teammates finished fourth in the final, Dietz called it an “absolutely spectacular” show with an audience that was “next level.”

“I really wanted to see Penny’s swim because she’s the icon of the pool in Canada,” he said.

“So I saw that, I’ve witnessed her swimming and my heart is fulfilled.”

While Dietz has already attended two swimming events, there are several more events remaining on his Olympics schedule.

He plans to watch rowing, fencing, weightlifting, water polo, cycling, beach volleyball and athletics, and will also attend the Games’ closing ceremony.