For the first time since 2008, a Canadian men's gymnastics team is participating in the Olympic Games.

Led by Pan American Games champion Félix Dolci, the plan is to not wait that long again.

The team qualified for the Olympics at the Pan American Games last October, when Dolci became the first Canadian to win gold in Pan American artistic gymnastics since Wilhelm Weiler in 1963.

On Saturday, Dolci, 22, of Laval, Que., led all Canadians with 81.498 points as they placed third in their qualifying group and advanced to the team final, where they placed eighth overall. Dolci will also compete in the all around final with René Cournoyer.

The men's team final will take place Monday at 11:30 a.m. ET, while the joint final will take place at the same time Wednesday.

Curtis Hibbert, the first Canadian to win a world championship medal, said he sees podium potential in Dolci.

“He's got a really good skill level. He's very well-rounded. We've had gymnasts who had a really good pommel horse or in some events were really good. But with someone like him who plays the way he does, he definitely has a chance,” Hibbert said.

WATCH | Dolci wins gold at Pan American Games:

And while it looks like Dolci could have plenty of sporting success in the future, his greatest power may lie in reintroducing his sport to Canadians.

It all starts with the team's increased visibility in Paris, which so far has already brought back fans like Hibbert, who competed for Team Canada at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics.

“These guys are awesome. They all look good, so it’s a big plus for marketing and everything. Hopefully they can get a sponsorship and continue to be the center of attention,” Hibbert said.

“They have a lot of energy and their love for the sport is clear. They are fantastic.”

Cournoyer's companions

The Canadian men's gymnastics program has already seen growth since Tokyo, when Rene Cournoyer was its only competitor, placing 55th in the all-around.

Cournoyer, 27, of Repentigny, Que., said it was “incredible” to return for his second Games and have the opportunity to compete in the team event.

“When I participate in an event, I am no longer alone. I have a whole team that encourages me and supports me if something happens. “Enjoying this moment together, supporting each other and having fun together will make the experience much more enjoyable,” he said.

Upon arriving in Paris, Cournoyer said the team's “absolute goal” was to reach the team final.

But that aside, the mere presence of Canadian male gymnasts at the Olympics could help increase participation in the sport across the country.

“I think ultimately we need to look at gymnastics more than once every four years. It's a different sport, it's tough, it requires a lot of commitment. And maybe there will come a time when people really like it and a lot of kids will choose it over basketball and hockey and all the rest,” Hibbert said.

Building a lineage

The Canadian women's team has been a regular at the Olympics, led by Ellie Black, who has competed at every Games since 2012. Black's fourth-place finish in the balance beam final at Tokyo 2020 is the highest-ever finish in gymnastics for a Canadian woman.

Kyle Shewfelt remains Canada's only Olympic medallist in gymnastics after winning gold on floor exercise in 2004 in Athens.

“Even so, it has attracted a lot of people to the sport, [but it] “I think every Olympics is a moment to capture the public's attention. And the public loves gymnastics. They love to see it. “It's about keeping it in the public eye year after year.”

Even Hibbert, who won seven medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, says he quit the sport at 57. After finishing his athletic career, he became a stuntman and now works as a police officer in Toronto.

Throughout it all, he maintained some connection to gymnastics, opening a gym in Mississauga, Ont., and volunteering elsewhere. Now, he says he's more involved in swimming than in swimming. Samuel, 16 year old son pursues his own Olympic dream.

He said the national gymnastics federation should integrate more of its retired athletes into the current programme to pass on their knowledge from a physical and mental perspective.

“Maybe we have a little bit of a gap, because our athletes like myself haven't stayed in the sport. But hopefully we can start to do that and the program can start to do that and develop more depth,” Hibbert said.

Perhaps with a strong performance in Paris, the Canadian gymnastics lineage can begin again.