Statement by the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), on the occasion of the Closing Ceremonies of the PyeongChang 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games

OTTAWA, Feb. 5, 2013 /CNW/ - As the PyeongChang 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games officially come to a close, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to our entire Canadian Special Olympics Team on eight days of amazing competition.

Our Special Olympics athletes demonstrated great skill and determination, and many of their performances resulted in exciting podium finishes, bringing Canada a total of 104 medals, 44 Gold, 42 Silver and 18 Bronze medals — an exceptional accomplishment.

It was thrilling to follow the Games as our athletes competed with tremendous spirit. Each and every performance made me more and more proud to be Canadian.

Our Government, along with all Canadians, congratulates all the Special Olympics athletes who represented our country with such passion and excellence.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our athletes' biggest fans—their families and friends—for making such a vital contribution to our athletes' achievements.

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage