Interesting Facts About Olympic Countries – Canada

Philomena Mensah won the silver medal in the 100 metres at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She became a Canadian citizen in the 1990s. Like Margaret Simpson (track & field), Fredua Koranteng “Freddy” Adu (soccer) and Alice Annum (athletics), she was born in Ghana (Africa).

George Orton won the gold medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 1900 Olympics. He won the Canada’s first Olympic gold medal.

This country has hosted many international Games:

The 1930 British Empire Games-Hamilton, Ontario

The 1954 British Empire Games-Vancouver, British Columbia

The 1967 Pan American Games-Winnipeg, Manitoba

The 1976 Summer Olympics-Montreal, Quebec

The 1976 Summer Paralympics-Toronto, Ontario

The 1978 Commonwealth Games-Edmonton, Alberta

The 1981 World University Games-Edmonton, Alberta

The 1988 Winter Olympics-Calgary, Alberta

The 1994 Commonwealth Games-Victoria, British Columbia

The 1999 Pan American Games-Winnipeg, Manitoba

In the 1940s and 1950s, Joseph Henri Maurice “Rocket” Richard was one of the best professional ice hockey players in the world. He was born on August 4, 1921 in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). Maurice Richard is a sports icon in his homeland.

From 1974 to 1976, the Canadian women`s volleyball team was trained by Park Moo, one of the best coaches of South Korea. For the first time, it was trained by a foreign coach.

Vancouver (British Columbia) will be host to the Winter Olympic Games in 2010.

Cindy Klassen was selected to carry Canada’s flag during the closing ceremony at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games. This skater won a medal bronze at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City (USA).

Canada did not participate in the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires (Argentina).

From 1924 to 2006, Canada has won 119 winter Olympics medals, including 38 gold. It competed in the Winter Olympics 20 times.

Ottawa – the capital city of Canada- has hosted the IV Francophone Games in 2001. There were 3,000 sportspeople from 50 countries and territories.

Canada boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow (USSR) in protest over Soviet policies against Afghanistan. Famous Canadian athletes did not participate in these Games: Ray Takahashi (wrestling/ Commonwealth gold medalist, 1978), Bruce Simpson (athletics/ Pan American gold medalist, 1979), Greg Joy ( track & field/ Olympic silver medalist, 1976), John Wood (kayak /Olympic silver medalist, 1976), Scott Neilson (athletics/ Pan American gold medalist, 1979), Claude Ferragne (athletics/ Commonwealth gold medalist, 1978), Jules Sobrian (shooting/ Commonwealth gold medalist, 1978), Shannon Smith (swimming/ Olympic bronze medalist, 1976), Roger Fortin (boxing / Commonwealth gold medalist, 1978), Gordon Singleton (cycling/ Pan American gold medalist, 1979), Nancy Garapick (swimming/ Olympic bronze medalist, 1976), Elki Schlegel (gymnastics/ Commonwealth gold medalist ), Jean-Marc Cardinal (weightlifting/ Commonwealth gold medalist, 1978), Cheryl Gibson (swimming/ Olympic silver medalist, 1976), Louis Jani (judo / Pan American gold medalist, 1979), Claude Langlois (cycling / Pan American gold medalist, 1979), Carmen Ionescu (track & field/ Commonweath gold medalist, 1978) and Diane Kanihowski (athletics/ Pan American gold medalist, 1979).

This country competed in the Winter Games for the first time at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix (France). The Canadian men`s ice hockey team finished first and won Canada`s first gold winter Olympic medal.

Canada sent 450 athletes to the 1984 Olympics in the United States: archery (3), athletics (66), baseball (20), basketball (24), boxing (9), kayak (15), cycling (13), equestrian (11), fencing (14), soccer (17), gymnastics(13), field hockey (32), wrestling (21), rowing (52), shooting (34), swimming (60), tennis (2), Volleyball (30), weightlifting (7) and sailing (13).

This country has won a gold medal in men’s hockey field four times at the Pan American Games: Caracas (1983), Indianapolis (1987), Winnipeg (1999) and Rio de Janeiro (2007).

Canada won 86 medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (Australia).

The Canadian team did not win any gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games. It won five silver and six bronze medals.The Olympic team had training in Havana,Cuba.

Canada won the silver in basketball in the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. Canada’s basketball team celebrates after winning the silver medal for the first time in their history at the Olympics.

This North American country won two gold medals at the 1920 Olympic Games in Belgium. The Olympic champions were: Earl Thompson (track & field / 110m hurdles) and Albert Schneider (boxing/ welterweight).

Canada won 19 gold medals at the 1975 Pan American Games. The Canadian medals winners were: Wayne Erdman (judo), Bruce Pirnie (track & field), Joyce Yakubowicz (athletics), Rainier Fisher (judo), Diane Jones (track & field), Chris Clarke (boxing), Joselyn Lovell (cycling), Howard Strupp (wrestling), Christilot Boylen (equestrian), Brand Farrow (judo), Russ Prior (weightlifting), Egon Beiler (wrestling), Lynn Chenard (swimming) and Janet Nutter (diving).

Bruny Surin was born on July 12, 1967 in Cap Haitien, Haiti. However, he moved to Canada when he was seven years old. Who is Surin? He is one of the best sprinters of the 20th century. He once said: “”Getting to work in the field you want to work in is such luck … It’s a privilege. The 100 metres and the 4×100 metre relay have given me a chance to push my limits, to go down into the core of myself to find the strength to achieve my goals. I think perseverance is the key to my success. When things went badly, the disappointment was a source of motivation.” Like many foreign-born Canadians, Bruny loves his country. He established the Bruny Surin Foundation, which is dedicated to helping children in need with education and physical health. Currently, he is Goodwill Ambassador for Quebec (Canada).

Top performances:

1990: Francophone Games-4th 100m

1991: World Athletics Championship-8th 100m

1992: Olympic Games-4th 100m

1993: World Athletics Championship-5th 100m, 3rd-4x100m relay

1994: Francophone Games-1st 100m

1995: World Indoor Championship-1st 60m; Canadian Championship-2nd 100m; World Athletics Championship-2nd 100m,1st- 4x100m relay

1996: Olympic Games- 1st 4x100m relay

1997: World Indoor Championship-5th 60m; Canadian Championship-3rd 100m; World Athletics Cup-2nd

100m, 1st- 4x100m relay

1998: Canadian Championship-1st 100m

1999: World Indoor Championship-8th 60m; Canadian Championship-1st 100m; World Athletics Championship-2nd 100m