"It's quite the thrill just to be picked by my teammates," Whitfield said at a news conference. "And when I say teammates, I truly mean teammates. It's quite an honour."
"The athletes clearly felt very strongly" about the choice, said Diane Jones-Konihowski, Canada's chef de mission in Sydney, noting Canada's athletes voted for Whitfield in an informal election that started Friday.
Simon Whitfield, shown here celebrating his gold-medal run in the triathlon, was named Canada's flag bearer at the Olympic Closing Ceremonies.
- MORE COVERAGE: CBC's Sydney Olympics Web Site
Whitfield, she said, "brought tremendous honour to all of Canada."
Two weeks ago Canadians were treated to a spectacular inaugural race for the men's Olympic triathlon.
A sudden sprint in the last couple of hundred metres sent Whitfield, a Kingston, Ont. native now living in Victoria, B.C., sailing past Germany's Stephan Vuckovic and into the lead. Whitfield's remarkable final burst of energy gave him an commanding lead and carried him to gold.
The Closing Ceremony will air Sunday morning on CBC at 4 a.m. ET.
