famous french canadian athletes

Hughes is known for her athletic achievements as well as her humanitarian work. A member . His biography has been translated into 18 different languages. She won bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City games, a gold and silver in the 2006 Turin games and another bronze on home soil at the 2010 Vancouver games. For a time, Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey held the record as the fastest man in the world. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Jeannie Longos athletic career began in her hometown in the French Alps. Like Terry Fox, Rick Hansen is often honoured for his courage and strength against adversity, but hes also celebrated as a truly gifted athlete. Conacher succeeded in a number of sports including football, hockey, baseball, lacrosse, boxing and wrestling. Raonic has 8 ATP titles to his name, and has earned over $14 million (USD) in career winnings. Victor Davis, Guelph Andre De Grasse, Scarborough / Markham Lori Dupuis, Cornwall Dave Edge (born 1954), British-Canadian Olympic long-distance runner Terry Farnsworth (born 1942), Olympic judoka Mark Fawcett, Nelson, British Columbia Shaul Gordon (born 1994), Canadian-Israeli Olympic sabre fencer By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. And this weekend Sidney Crosby will be taking his second Stanley Cup home to his Nova Scotia hometown. Most people (athletes included) tend to like either the summer or the winter. He is also the program assistant of Canadas History Society. Playing in other North American professional leagues, Former NCAA Division I players awaiting professional play. He is the first Jamaican-born athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. Through her perseverance and dedication to Montral, Jeanne Mance paved the way for what would become the most important city in Canada between 1880 and 1950. She returned to her first love of speed skating in 2002, winning medals in three straight Winter Olympics. Sufia Banu Hi, Im Christine a full-time traveler and career woman. Weve made a list of some of the most influential, and while its impossible to rank the best of the best, were sure youll agree that each of the athletes on this list has had a big impact on sports in Canada. Ben Johnson also won a gold medal at the 1985 World Indoor Championships. He also led the 4 x 100m relay team to a gold medal in the same Olympics. Comments are welcome while open. He has also earned the Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards for his stellar performances. Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe are two among the most famous ice hockey players the country has seen. Clara Hughes has won six Olympic medals and also has an unusual record as being one of the only athletes in the world to have won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games. Moyse - the best pusher in the world - was a team-sport star from PEI and member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame. The world-famous Andr the Giant died of congestive heart failure in Paris in 1993, after attending his fathers funeral. This International Womens Day, lets celebrate some of Canada's female heroes of the past and not-so distant past. Alwyn Morris (1957-) Canoe-Kayak Sprint Top 10 Female Athletes [ edit] Nancy Greene (born 1943), skier Silken Laumann (born 1964), rower Barbara Ann Scott (1928-2012), figure skater Myriam Bdard (born 1969), biathlon Marnie McBean (born 1968), rower Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld (1904-1969), track-and-field (voted female athlete of the first half of the century) Clara Hughes (Road Cycling/Speed Skating) Hughes has won six Olympic medals in her . Her six career medals ties her with speed skating teammate Cindy Klassen as Canada's most-decorated Olympian. Moyse chose to push for next-generation pilot, Alyssa Rissling. However, these did not stop him from becoming one of the greatest athletes France has ever had. Klassen won five medals for Team Canada, despite the fact that there are far less medals available in the Winter Games. The first Canadian-born athlete to hold an official world track record, three-time Olympian Harry Jerome broke the Canadian record in the 220-yard dash when he was only 18 years old. Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a former football star who played as an attacking midfielder. Phil Edwards was a Guyanese-born Canadian track and field athlete who specialized in middle-distance events. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Now such a list will undoubtedly bring about some strong opinions (rightfully so) so lets just get a few things out of the way first. Christine Sinclair, one of the best female soccer players ever, comes in at #8 on our list. MacLennan's second gold was even more remarkable given her battle back from post-concussion syndrome in the lead-up to the Games. You dont earn a name like The Great One without being something special. Muhammed Ali said Chuvalo was the toughest fighter he ever faced. She is the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to reach the finals of a Grand Slam in singles. She was named Canadas Athlete of the Year in 1967 and followed it up with another World Cup title in 1968, as well as a gold and silver medal in the Olympics and another gold medal at the world championships. While he has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament, he did reach his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2016, and reached the semi-finals at both the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2014. High Jumper Derek Drouin takes the 6th spot on our list of The Top 10 Canadian Athletes. She's the only female Paralympian to win the Lou Marsh Award as the top athlete in Canada (2008). He defended his world title eight times before coming out of four-year retirement to win the middleweight world title in 2017. Obviously the diamond took a back seat to the ice as she went on to the most prolific career in women's hockey. Lou Marsh also worked for the Toronto Star for more than four decades and is often counted among the pioneers of sports journalism in the country. Only in his 20s, Mbapp is regarded as one of the best football players in the world, having already won more trophies than most players do in their entire career. Vote for Your Favourite Canadian Athletes, (Actor and Athlete Known for His Role as Tonto in the TV Series The Lone Ranger), (Canadian Sprinter Who was the World's Fastest Man During the 1987-88 Season), (Canadian Soccer Player Who Plays as a Forward), (Onondaga Athlete Who Specialized in Distance Running), (Canadian Track and Field Athlete (Paralympic Games)), (Canadian Former Race Horse Jockey Who won the 'US Triple Crown' in 1973), (Former Canadian Figure Skater and 2-Time National Champion), (Canadian Long-Distance Runner and Olympic Silver Medalist), (Canadian Sprinter, Former World Champion, and 2-Time Olympic Medalist), (Canadian Athlete and Winner of the 100 and 200 Metres Races at the 1928 Summer Olympics), (Canadian Athlete and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist), (Former Canadian Track and Field Athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist), (Canadian Athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist, and a Pioneer in Women's Sports), (Canadian Track and Field Athlete, Bobsledder, and Olympic Medalist), (Jamaican-Born Canadian Bobsledder and Olympic Silver Medalist), (Track and Field Athlete Who Specialized in Middle Distance Events), (Canadian Athlete Who Was the First Non-US Olympic Gold Medalist in 100m Hurdles). 5 Bobsleigh. Explore a timeline of Montreals 375-year history! Ballard also owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. Whether it was her dominant gold medal victory in the giant slalom at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics (she won by a whopping 2.68 seconds!) Jeannie Longo's athletic career began in her hometown in the French Alps. She never toed the line. Its always an inspiring sight to see a Canadian with that gold medal around their neck. They made little Inuvik a hotbed of ski talent. Oleksiakss impressive breakthrough performance in Rio earned her the honor of being named Canadas flag bearer for the Olympic Closing Ceremonies, and won her the Lou Marsh award, given annually to the top Canadian athlete of that year. As a professional tennis player, she is currently ranked no. Stefanie Reid is a track and field para athlete. Born in a poor neighboorhood in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille, Zidane started playing football at age 5. While there are 15 deserving athletes on this list, there are a number of incredible Canadian athletes that didnt make the cut, which wasnt an easy decision. Kurt Browning. Crosbys dominance has continued since then, as he has captained the Penguins to 2 Stanley Cup championships, won 2 Hart trophies (NHL MVP), 2 Art Ross trophies (NHL scoring title), and a Conn Smythe trophy (playoff MVP). Crosby has been a household name in Canada since he was a young teenager, as he dominated every age group. An advocate for Indigenous issues, Chalmers has made efforts to connect with and inspire . Candice Quigley The grandson of Patriote Louis-Joseph Papineau, Bourassa was an independent thinker who became a political model for his generation and the next. Hundreds of thousands came out to celebrate and in 1950, Rosenfeld was named Canada's female athlete of the first half of the century. From the ice to the hardcourt, theres not much doubt about who Canadas greatest basketball player is. He played professionally for Cannes in 1989. Canada does have a strong history of producing great hockey players, skiers, skaters, and athletes who compete in other winter sports. In 1996, Tom Longboat was honored posthumously with an induction into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Post-retirement, he has been working as a power skating coach. Brooke has been a top-10 competitor on the LPGA for a couple years now, but she's still just 21 years old. To mark its 30th More than any other player, Howe played the whole game. Captain Canada himself, Michael Saunders, made it to the MLB All-Star game. Percy Williams is widely regarded as the greatest Canadian Olympic athlete of all time. Steve Nash Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa (immigrated to Regina, Saskatchewan then Victoria, B.C.). Sidney Crosby no doubt deserves this ranking, given he has been at the top of his sport for the last decade, achieving great success both professionally with the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins, and internationally as a member of Team Canada. Cartier was born in 1814 to a merchant family in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, north of Montral. A native of Smith Falls, Ontario, Henderson also represented Canada at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. In honor of Canada Day, here are the 25 greatest Canadians of all time: 26. However, France has also produced some of the worlds most famous athletes. He also piled up 11 top-10 and four top-5 major finishes in his career. In 2004, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Percy Williams was a Canadian athlete best remembered for winning two gold medals at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. In 1980, Ron Turcotte was elected as a member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Christine Sinclair Hometown: Burnaby, B.C. Copyright 2023 by AncoraThemes. Getty/Tim Clayton-Corbis As Insider reported, 23-year-old Osaka, the No. Few athletes on this list hold the type of legacy that Fox has among Canadians. Basketball runs in the Parker family. He campaigned for greater independence for Lower Canada, which was dominated by an influential British minority. To celebrate Canadas 150th anniversary, KelownaNow is shining a light on our amazing country. Raonic is undoubtedly the best Canadian mens tennis player today, evidenced by the fact he has been named Tennis Canadas male player of the year every year since 2011. But not all of us are George Chuvalo. To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists. He has also had a very successful international career, winning 2 Olympic gold medals, a World Junior Championship, a World Championship, and a World Cup title with Team Canada. Robbed of that Olympic moment, she formed a powerful voice in the boardroom. This whole list could be populated with hockey players, but to add a little variety, Ive chosen to limit their representation on the list. By the Sapporo Olympics of 1972, seven of Canada's nine nordic skiers were from the Mackenzie Delta. With so many trailblazers in this country, this list could run off the page. Take a trip to Montreal with this audiowalk to learn about the citys history. Sidney Crosby is regarded as one of the best hockey players of all time and has amassed over 1200 points over his fifteen-year playing career alongside eight all-star appearances and three Stanley Cups. Early Years. Two-time national champion and retired Canadian figure skater Nam Nguyen has also been a World Junior Champion in 2014. In the early 2000s, Mike Weir was the guy from Canada and he was one of the best players on tour. This is all thanks to his world-famous eponymous polo shirt brand with the crocodile logo. She is currently ranked an impressive 8th in the world at her sport, a position that she will no doubt surpass in the future. He was the first Canadian, and first Cubs pitcher, to win a Cy Young Award as the leagues best pitcher and accumulated over 3,000 strikeouts in his long career. The Great One holds almost every NHL record you can think of and helped Edmonton become the City of Champions in the late 1980s. A true family affair. She won three gold medals in total at the Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994. Olympic silver medalist Canadian long-distance runner Mohammed Ahmed scripted history as Canadas first medal winner at the 5,000m at both the World Championships and the Olympics. Ethel Smith (1907 - 1979). 47in world ranking. He continues to inspire countless Canadians after all these years. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France. Ben Johnson who held the record of being the fastest man in the world during the 1980s was a Canadian. Just a few years after Ben Johnson had his Olympic medals stripped due to doping, Donovan Bailey captured the hearts of a nation during the 1996 Atlanta games. Born in Montral in 1896, Casgrain was the daughter of businessman and politician Sir Rodolphe Forget and Lady Blanche MacDonald. Given the overwhelming reasons to be proud of our nations athletic output, what better time to look at the all time great athletes Canada hasgiven the sports world. In 1979, he wasinductedintothe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He has been knighted by the Quebec government. One of the most beautiful and glamorous female tennis player, Genie Bouchard may not be ranked amongst top 10greatest Canadian athletes right now, but she deserve the honorable spot here. Candice Quigley Axelle/Bauer-Griffin 22/35 Rachel McAdams This Mean Girl was born in London, Ontario. He was the inspiration for the 1998 movie My Giant. Canada's greatest wheelchair racer of all-time blazes trails wherever her career takes her - as an athlete, advocate or politician. Football superstar Kylian Mbapp is a forward for the France national team and Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. If you liked this article, please share it! Canadians may remember the iconic image of her skating around the Salt Lake City Oval with a Canada flag in her hand and a black stetson on her head. Ferguson Jenkins Hometown: Chatham, Ontario. In his early days, he excelled in high jump and discus throw, too. Widely regarded as Canadas top female athlete of the 20th century, Greene was a trailblazer for female Canadian athletes. 2 Donovan Bailey Nancy Greene 7. He returned the following year and became more involved in politics, becoming the right-hand man of Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine. You probably don't know these names, but you should. It may be shocking to see the likes of Lemieux, Roy and Messier missing but rest assured their talents are not overlooked. If you dont already know these athletes, you should. The list is in alphabetical order based on last name. We kicked off our series of Canada 150 articles last week with Canadas 15 best ski resorts. He also won a gold medal at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton. Probably Canadas most famous Paralympic athlete, hes won three golds, two silvers and one bronze between 1980 and 1984. His career in athletics started during World War I, winning the national cross-country championships of the French military. The Jamaican born, Canadian sprinter won gold in the 100m setting a new world record of 9.84 seconds in the process. 1 ranking from 1926 to 1927. This International Women's Day, let's celebrate some of Canada's female heroes of the past and not-so distant past. He also won a gold medal at the 1981 Pacific Conference Games and at the 1986 Commonwealth Games. Orr won eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHLs best defenseman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the leagues MVP. Gordie Howe Hometown: Floral, Saskatchewan. Similarly to Wiggins, Connor McDavid is a young superstar taking his sport by storm. He retired from professional football in 2006. Gordie Howe . bizarre and unfortunate Olympic qualifying rules and domestic standards, She later stepped down as head of the WADA athlete's committee, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. A 4-time Olympian and an Olympic gold medalist, retired Canadian track and field athlete Bruny Surin has been a master of the 4100m relay. His professional athletics career began at the age of 16, winning a Ligue 1 title, Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, and the Golden Boy award. Gold at home in Vancouver 2010 and a repeat four years later in Russia. Donovan Bailey Mario Lemieux -- When looking at the top-five French speaking players of all time, No . McBean, one of Canada's most decorated Olympians, and Heddle captured the gold in the coxless pair at Barcelona 1992 and followed it up with gold in the double sculls at Atlanta 1996. Born in Montral in 1786, he grew up at his familys estate and studied law. Competing in his first Olympics, he won a silver medal in the 200m, and bronze medals in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay. She had been threatened with expulsion from the tournament if she continued to miss press obligations. He also won the French national championship in the 5000-meter race, thus qualifying him for the Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920. He is deemed one of the worlds greatest athletes. With an HPI of . Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld was the premiere sprinter of the Games. Angela Frances Chalmers, world-class distance runner from Birdtail Sioux First Nation (born 6 September 1963 in Brandon, MB).Chalmers is one of the most accomplished Indigenous athletes in Canada. Admitted to the bar in 1835, he fought for the rights of the francophone minority and participated in the rebellions of 183738 alongside the Patriotes, before going into exile in Vermont. 50.97, Ethel Smith is the most famous Canadian Athlete. 9 Freestyle skiing. Three-time Olympian Canadian track and field athlete and bobsledder Phylicia George is also an Olympic bronze medalist in the two-woman bobsleigh category. 8 Figure skating. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. What comes to mind when you think of Canada and sports? Her hard work and leadership provide an excellent example for other aspiring athletes. Aside from the Masters, Weir had seven other PGA Tour victories between 1999 and 2007. A lot can happen in four years. The following is a list of Canadian sports personalities. As an athlete, she won 21 medals at five Paralympic Games from 1992 to 2008, including 14 gold medals, and broke 26 world records along the way. Simmerling made history at Rio 2016 by becoming the first Canadian athlete to compete in three different sports in three different Olympic Games. He then established himself as one of the top hockey and boxing referees of his generation. Here we profile the ultimate fighter for clean sport and a woman who changes the conversation around ability. This article originally appeared in the April-May 2017issue ofCanadas History. Milos Raonic, a tennis player, was born in the former Yugoslavia, but moved with his family to Canada when he was 3 years old. He also won the 4x100m relay at the 2018 NACAC Championships. The first ever World Cup ski race was held in 1967. However, the most impressive thing about Oleksiak may be that shes only 16 years of age; more medals and accolades appear to be in her future. The Haitian-born athlete had moved to Canada as a child. In 2019, The Sports Network named Rachel Homan the fourth-greatest Canadian female curler of all time. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. 8. She later stepped down as head of the WADA athlete's committee, but not before making sure a charter of rights for athletes was approved for entry into the WADA archives. He later quit sports to pursue acting. Sinclair has won the Canada Soccer Player of the Year award an outstanding 12 times in her career and is a 6 time nominee of FIFAs World Player of the Year award. Posted on Published: November 16, 2021- Last updated: January 6, 2023. Same result champions. Le May Doan was the first female speed skater to break the 38-second barrier in the 500-metre event and is also the first Canadian to successfully defend a gold medal in the same event at an Olympics. She became a member of the Socit Notre-Dame de Montral and obtained funding from benefactor Anglique Bullion to establish a hospital on the island of Montral. Hockey as he is commonly known, still holds the record for most games played in the NHL. Probably Canada's most famous Paralympic athlete, he's won three golds, two silvers and one bronze between 1980 and 1984. He also scored one the most famous goals in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup (pictured above). Mario Lemieux was the first overall draft pick in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, and he certainly didnt disappoint. Shes considered one of the best female soccer players of all time and has 296 appearances and 186 goals for Canada. As the captain of Canadas hockey team, Philip-Poulin has led her team to two Olympic gold medals plus a silver medal. Eisler also won a gold medal, three silver medals, and two bronze medals at the World Championships between 1985 and 1994. Is it better for French-speaking and English-speaking friends to go to school together, or to have a chance to learn in their own language? He was born on 26th January 1961. Not only does Clara Hughes have six Olympic medals to her name, shes one of two athletes since Second World War to win medals in both the Summer and Winter Games. Although Im from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France.