Canadians Disappointed by Team Canada’s Olympic Performance; 67% Support Funding Increase for Athletes

March 11, 2026 (Toronto, ON) – A new national survey from Liaison Strategies reveals that a majority of Canadians believe Team Canada underperformed at the recent Olympic Games. While a majority of the country still feels a sense of pride in the national team, the intensity of that pride has dropped significantly following the conclusion of the Games.

The study finds that 60% of respondents felt Team Canada’s performance was worse than expected, compared to only 8% who felt the team performed better than expected. This stands in stark contrast to pre-Games sentiment, where 38% of Canadians expected the team to perform better than in previous years.

"There is a clear sense of disappointment across the country regarding the final medal count and overall performance," said David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies. "While expectations were high heading into the Games, the reality of the results has led to a significant reassessment by the Canadian public".

Liaison surveyed a random sample of 1,000 Canadians from February 23 to March 7, using Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) technology. To ensure a representative sample, participants were reached through random digit dialing (RDD) across both landline and cellular phone networks.The margin of error for the total sample is ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Liaison Strategies is one of the most accurate polling firms in Canada. It ranked #1 in accuracy in the 2025 Ontario election and #2 nationally in the 2025 federal election. Liaison is a member of the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC).

David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies, said the following:

"When it comes to bringing the Winter Olympics back to Canada for 2030 or 2034, voters are highly pragmatic about the price tag. While 23% strongly support a bid, the largest group at 42% would only back it if no new permanent venues were built, and 28% are entirely opposed due to the high costs."

"Even with the disappointment in the overall results, Canadians want to see our athletes succeed. We see robust backing for our competitors, with 67% of Canadians supporting an increase in federal funding for Olympic athletes."

"The Games also serve as a catalyst for getting Canadians active. Over a third of respondents, 35% in total, reported being much more or somewhat more interested in participating in a winter sport themselves after watching the 2026 Olympics."

National Pride and Interest

• Pride in the Team: Currently, 64% of Canadians agree that the Olympic team makes them proud of their country (32% strongly agree, 32% somewhat agree). However, the "Strongly Agree" sentiment has plummeted from 57% measured before the Games began.
• Winter Sport Interest: Despite the disappointment in results, the Games have inspired a segment of the population. 35% of Canadians say they are more interested in participating in or trying a winter sport themselves (11% much more, 24% somewhat more).
• Regional Disparity: Disappointment was highest in Atlantic Canada, where 70% of respondents viewed the performance as worse than expected. British Columbia residents were the most satisfied, though 47% still characterized the performance as "worse".
• Athlete Funding: There is robust backing for increased financial support for competitors. A total of 31% strongly support and 36% somewhat support the federal government increasing its annual funding for Olympic athletes.

• Future Hosting: Canadians show cautious optimism about hosting a future Winter Olympics, such as in 2030 or 2034. While 23% strongly support a Canadian bid, a plurality of 42% would only support a bid if no new permanent venues were built. The Olympics have not caused a change in support with support for hosting unchanged.

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Detailed Poll Report:

About Liaison Strategies
Liaison Strategies is a national public opinion research firm. With 12 years of experience in Canadian polling, David Valentin, principal, has fielded hundreds of projects at the municipal, provincial and federal levels and appeared across Canadian media to discuss insights. Liaison is a member of the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC), Canada’s voice of the research, analytics, and insights profession both domestically and globally.