Top 10 Canadian Athletes Right Now Sidney Crosby - Hockey Penny Oleksiak - Swimming Andre De Grasse - Track and field Milos Raonic - Tennis Damian Warner Derek Drouin - High jumper Brooke Henderson - Golf Christine Sinclair - Soccer Connor McDavid - Hockey Andrew Wiggins - Basketball Eugenie Bouchard - Tennis Aside from the Masters, Weir had seven other PGA Tour victories between 1999 and 2007. Louis-Joseph Papineau had a reputation as a hero and a defender of the rights of French Canadians, but he was also seen as a traitor to the nation and to the Commonwealth. 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. At her first Olympics at London 2012, George made the 100 hurdles final, finishing sixth. What else needs to be said? His career with the Phoenix Suns was outstanding and saw him awarded as NBAs MVP twice. He retired in 2019, ending his basketball career as the ninth leading post-season scorer in NBA history. 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. By the 1960s, his idea of a bicultural Canada had made its way to Parliament, where it was promoted by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. There are a few incredible young athletes in Canada that have a good chance of making it onto this list by the time their careers are done. And that wasn't the end of it. She'll look to win her first LPGA major since 2016 in April. In Brazil, she competed in track cycling where she collected her first-ever podium finish, a bronze in the team pursuit. Lemieuxs career was ultimately shortened by injury, a mid-career retirement and even cancer, but number 66 is still considered one of the most talented and influential players to ever play the game. He played professionally for Cannes in 1989. 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. He is currently ranked 4th in the world, though he was ranked 3rd for a time in 2016. Only 22 years old, it looks like De Grasse will be a major player in international sprinting in the future. We recognize the resilience of Indigenous storytellers and Knowledge Keepers who have kept their stories alive despite attempts to silence them. 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. 12 Team Canada athletes who are Winter and Summer Olympians At the time of his retirement, Gretzky held 61 NHL records. 15 Quebec Francophone Musicians And Bands That English - MTL Blog The sport was dominated by Europeans at the time but Greene managed to clench the title, and went on the more glory including Olympic gold. Mance quickly established a basic hospital that would later become the Htel-Dieu de Montral. Gretzkys 1,963 assists in the NHL are greater than anyone elses points totals, although Jaromir Jagr might have something to say about that before he hangs up the skates. Starting off our list we have Andrew Wiggins, the professional basketball player from the NBAs Minnesota Timberwolves. He later coached the US Naval Academy team and also co-designed a safer hurdle. In 1995 Longo became the first female rider to win road and time-trial world titles in the same year, a record that stood until Hollands Anna van der Breggen accomplished the same feat in 2020. Hockey has proven that Canada has its fair share of fighters, but not too many of us make a splash in the world of boxing. In 1970, then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed Casgrain to the Canadian Senate. This resulted in unrest leading to the Lower Canada Rebellion of 183738. 10 Greatest Canadian Athletes of All Time - Discover Walks Blog We kicked off our series of Canada 150 articles last week with Canadas 15 best ski resorts. 15 Inspirational Asian Canadians to Know by : Patricia Karounos and Hannah Ziegler - May 25th, 2020 In honour of Asian Heritage Month, we're highlighting Asian-Canadian women and non-binary people for their impact in the realms of culture, fashion, athletics and politics. Post-retirement, she worked as a sports columnist and coach. Percy Williams is widely regarded as the greatest Canadian Olympic athlete of all time. Born in Montral in 1786, he grew up at his family's estate and studied law. 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. Lionel Conacher Hometown: Toronto, Ontario. Article Angela Chalmers. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Name just about any hockey record and youll see that the legendary 99 holds it firmly. Armand Mouyal, French fencer (pe), national champion Claude Netter, French fencer (foil), Olympic champion Christian d'Oriola, French Olympic and World Champion, named "Fencer of the 20th Century" by the FIE, International Fencing Federation, in 2001. The title of Worlds Greatest Athlete has often been reserved for the best decathlete in the world, as the sport requires all-around ability in a variety of running, throwing, and jumping events. The Saskatchewan-raised athlete skated for both the Oilers and the Boston Bruins, and was also playing for Edmonton's AHL affiliate team, the Bakersfield Condors, in the 2019-2020 season. From 1972 to 1984, Shirley and Sharon Firth went to four consecutive Winter Olympics, shaped the sport of cross-country skiing in the north and ignited a conversation around indigenous culture. Greene is now a large figure in the B.C. Her six career medals ties her with speed skating teammate Cindy Klassen as Canada's most-decorated Olympian. (Photo: National Archives Bookstore.) In the 1920s, she helped found the Provincial Franchise Committee for Womens Suffrage and began fighting for the right for women to vote provincially in Qubec a battle that would last more than two decades before victory was achieved. He was also the creator of the first steel tennis racket and the tennis ball machine. From the ice to the hardcourt, theres not much doubt about who Canadas greatest basketball player is. Christine Sinclair is a Canadian soccer player who plays for the Canadian national team as a forward. By the Sapporo Olympics of 1972, seven of Canada's nine nordic skiers were from the Mackenzie Delta. 9 Freestyle skiing. However, in recent years a number of Canadians in various sports have made an impact at the highest levels. She ran the anchor leg for Jane Bell, Ethel Smith and Myrtle Cook as Canada won gold in the inaugural 4x100-metre relay. Gretzky is the only NHL player to ever total more than 200 points in a single season, and he didnt just do it once, but four times. An advocate for Indigenous issues, Chalmers has made efforts to connect with and inspire . France is most noted for its amazing breads, cheeses, and wines; art, architecture, and fashion; and of course, its fabulous destinations. In 1910 he founded the newspaper Le Devoir to share his perspective. Phil Edwards was a Guyanese-born Canadian track and field athlete who specialized in middle-distance events. Lou Marsh was a Canadian athlete who participated in a wide variety of sports during his playing career. And the rest is history. In total, Canada's women's track and field team won two gold, two silver and a bronze and earned the nickname: The Matchless Six. Celebrate 21 Indigenous Athletes for National Indigenous Peoples Day Longos professional racing career started in 1979. The list is in alphabetical order based on last name. 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. He had a permanently damaged lung due to an accident. Jamaican-born Canadian bobsledder Lascelles Brown is an Olympic silver medalist and a former World Champion. She also set Canadian womens records in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly. Drouin also won gold at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and won 5 NCAA titles while competing for the Indiana Hoosiers. His illustrious career has seen him compete internationally for Jamaica, Canada, and Monaco. He also won a gold medal at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Noted for his top speed, he became the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters. Shes also Canadas most decorated female athlete, with 24 medals in speed skating. He won a Grey Cup, a Memorial Cup, two Stanley Cups and even a baseball championship in the International League. Ethel May Smith (July 5, 1907 - December 31, 1979) was a sprinter from Canada who won two medals at the Amsterdam 1928 Summer Olympics: a bronze medal in the 100 m, and a gold team medal in the 4 100 m relay. Canada's athletes of the 20th century - Wikipedia 19 year old Brooke Henderson is a rising star on the LPGA tour, having already won 3 tournaments (including 1 Major) at the LPGA level. Initially, Hughes won two bronze medals in cycling at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. Legendary Canadian female athletes you should know - CBC Football superstar Kylian Mbapp is a forward for the France national team and Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. Wayne Gretzky Hometown: Brantford, Ontario. Harold Ballard was a Canadian sportsman and businessman. They set off the following spring, reaching le de Montral and founding Ville-Marie. She has been tireless in advocating for fitness and an active lifestyle and at 76 years old, she's still carving turns. He is deemed one of the worlds greatest athletes. He was later dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World.. She won the French road race Championship that same year. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Greatest Canadian Athletes | Famous Athletes from Canada | Pantheon He gave up his lucrative running career in 1916 to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces where his endurance was invaluable as a dispatch carrier in France; he was wounded twice and declared dead once. In his early days, he excelled in high jump and discus throw, too. 6.Jean Collas (1874 - 1928). Nicknamed the bulldog of Britannia, Longboat also served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a soldier during the First World War. Makes sense, considering the countrys climate and geography. Gordie Howe Oleksiak is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer who won 4 medals (a record for a Canadian athlete at a single Summer Olympics) at the Rio Olympics: gold in the 100m freestyle, silver in the 100m butterfly, and bronze in both the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m freestyle relays. The project was supported by the Governor General Lord Durham but was rejected by London. She intends to go for gold again with the Stars and Stripes at Beijing 2022. In 1979, he wasinductedintothe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Brooke has been a top-10 competitor on the LPGA for a couple years now, but she's still just 21 years old. The Canadian Press awards the Lionel Conacher award to the countrys male athlete of the year. This laid the groundwork for a federation of the British colonies. The list features athletes from a wide variety of sports and eras. Also, Crosby is a complete player with few, if any, weaknesses in his game. The 167 goals puts her second all-time in international goals scored, behind American Abby Wambach. She was part of the first Canadian women's track and field team to compete internationally. Donnie Wahlberg. Jenkins wasnt just a talented baseball player either, as he spent a few off-seasons playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. Melrose: Top French speaking skaters, goalies | NHL.com 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. Cecil Smith, her sister Maude "Jim" Smith, and Constance Wilson competed for Canada in figure skating at the 1928 . 2 Association football. Sharing the stories and celebrating the contributions of inspiring Black Canadian athletes . Henri Bourassa, born in 1868 in Montral, had a significant impact on Canadian politics through his nationalist position, which still resonates today. 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. She was also part of the team that won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. This whole list could be populated with hockey players, but to add a little variety, Ive chosen to limit their representation on the list. No surprise she was voted the top female Canadian athlete of the 20th century. Top 10 Canadian Athletes of All Time - Sports Nerd Black athletes who made Olympic sport history in Canada In the weeks leading up to July 1st, we will be releasing articles on the best Canada has to offer. In honor of Canada Day, here are the 25 greatest Canadians of all time: 26. Cindy Klassen Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. Donovan Bailey As a cyclist, Hughes competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where she raced to bronze in both the road race and time trial. You can help make our past relevant, engaging, empowering and accessible. Elected in the Montral suburb of Verchres, he became co-premier of the unified Province of Canada along with John A. Macdonald. He has won two silver medals and three bronze medals in two Olympic Games so far. 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. 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. She is currently ranked an impressive 8th in the world at her sport, a position that she will no doubt surpass in the future. The Haitian-born athlete had moved to Canada as a child. 12 Greatest Canadian Athletes Of All Time - SeasonedPros.ca With millions of followers, he is definitely one of France most famous athletes on social media. Nash retired with the highest free throw percentage in NBA history at 90.42%. 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). Gordie Howe, or Mr. His skating ability, offensive skill, and great hockey IQ have convinced many people that he will soon be (if he isnt already) the best hockey player in the world. Birthplace: Bruges, Belgium; raised in France. 7 Most Famous French Athletes Of All Time - Journey To France JB Blanc (born 1969), actor; father of French descent. Muhammed Ali said Chuvalo was the toughest fighter he ever faced. 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. She moved on to ski cross in Sochi 2014 and was predicted to be in the medal hunt at PyeongChang 2018 until she broke both legs in a World Cup event just before the Games. She'll forever be known as the "fastest woman on ice.". He competed in before making his NHL debut at 18 in 2005. He campaigned for greater independence for Lower Canada, which was dominated by an influential British minority. 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. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Mario Lemieux -- When looking at the top-five French speaking players of all time, No . Zidane, popularly called Zizou by his adoring fans, is one of the eight players to have won the World Cup, the Ballon dOr, and the Champions League. 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. Now, Humphries competes for the United States after an acrimonious split from the Canadian program. Mark McKoy is a three-time Commonwealth champion, having won gold medals at the 1982 and 1986 Commonwealth Games. For the Firths, it was beyond personal, they were acutely aware of representing their culture, too. In the 2020 Olympics, Sinclair helped her team win the gold medal. Famous Female Athletes from Canada | List of Canada Female - Ranker Guillemot held world records in 2,000 meters and 3,000 meters. Wayne Gretzky-ice hockey player. 1 Georges St-Pierre (One of the Greatest Fighters in the History of Mixed Martial Arts) 37 21 Listed In: Sportspersons Birthdate: May 19, 1981 Sun Sign: Taurus Height: 5'10" (178 cm) 2 Glenn Ford (One of the Most Prominent Actors During Hollywood's Golden Age) 70 12 Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities Birthdate: May 1, 1916 Sun Sign: Taurus At the 2006 winter Olympic, Klassen became the only Canadian athlete to ever win five medals at one Olympic games. That was then. Hometown: Manchester, Jamaica (immigrated to Oakville, Ontario), Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa (immigrated to Regina, Saskatchewan then Victoria, B.C. 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. Jessica Biel (born 1982), American actress with distant French roots. He moved to Montral at the age of ten and entered the College de Montral. They're the most successful team in Canadian history, winning an astounding 95 per cent of their matches. Hi, Im Christine a full-time traveler and career woman. Nicknamed The Big Train, Lionel Conacher might be the least known athlete on this list, despite having a national award named after him. She won the first-ever World Cup skiing race in 1967 before winning gold at the 1968 winter Olympic giant slalom event. This International Womens Day, lets celebrate some of Canada's female heroes of the past and not-so distant past. 30 Famous Francophones | The Canadian Encyclopedia Copyright 2023 by AncoraThemes. With that out of the way, lets take a look at the 12 greatest Canadian athletes of all time! Legendary Canadian female athletes you should know | CBC Sports Loaded. Canadas National History Society acknowledges that we meet and work across the ancestral lands of many Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Mtis. Perhaps no other name in the history of French sports is more popular today than Lacoste. He holds the Canadian record in high jump, clearing 2.40m in 2014. Moyse - the best pusher in the world - was a team-sport star from PEI and member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame. He became famous for his endurance and the way he finished a race with a spectacular burst of speed. Together, they sang O Canada, tears of joy in their eyes, while nearby stood proud eldest sister Maxime, who finished 12th. Make a donation to Canadas History Society. More common known as GSP, Georges St. Pierre was a large factor in turning the UFC from a marginally watched sport into the powerhouse it is today. When the American Revolution (1775-1783 . Competing in his first Olympics, he won a silver medal in the 200m, and bronze medals in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay. Ren Lacoste invented this signature polo shirt, but thats not all. He won the Olympic silver medal in the 10,000-meter long distance race. The Society is committed to sharing and amplifying Indigenous histories, perspectives, and voices and walking together with Indigenous peoples on the path to truth and reconciliation. With an HPI of . Canada's national women's soccer team, on the other hand, is one of the best in the world and are currently ranked fourth. Nicknamed The Predator, Patrick Ct is a former Canadian boxer and MMA fighter. Born in a poor neighboorhood in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille, Zidane started playing football at age 5. Discover a wealth of interesting, entertaining and informative stories in each issue, delivered to you six times per year. Though Browning never won an Olympic medal, he is one of the most successful and popular Canadian figure skaters of all time. 27 Jul 1996: Donovan Bailey of Canada #1197 defeats Frankie Fredericks of Namibia #1962 and Dennis Mitchell of the USA for the gold medal in th 100m final at the Olympic Stadium at the 1996. Lemieux is narrowly behind Gretzky for the highest all-time points per game in the NHL and the two Canadians are a half point higher than anyone else on the list. 35 Famous People From Canada | Glamour Wiggins entered the NBA in 2014 after being chosen first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Entry Draft. If you liked this article, please share it! The 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, women were allowed to compete in track and field for the first time and the Canadian women headed straight to the podium. Kurt Browning. Explore a timeline of Montreals 375-year history! Throughout the years, hundreds of Canadian athletes have made their mark on the world of sport and represented Canada at the highest level. 48.39, Jean Collas is the 6th most famous French Athlete. Posted on Published: November 16, 2021- Last updated: January 6, 2023. In 2011, Velma Springstead was posthumously elected as a member of the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame. Ballard also owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. To mark its 30th Not only that, his heart was on the right side of his chest. After being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, Papineau became the leader of the Parti Canadien, which later became the Patriote party. Eisler also won a gold medal, three silver medals, and two bronze medals at the World Championships between 1985 and 1994. Crosby also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada, including the 2010 final, where he scored a famous golden goal in the finals. But for these 12 athletes, both seasons are their favourite as they have competed at the summer and winter Olympic Games. This article originally appeared in the April-May 2017issue ofCanadas History. updated March 31, 2019, 10:41 am, by Two-time Olympic medalist Canadian sprinter Aaron Brown has also been a World Champion in 2022. 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. Ron Turcotte is a Canadian former race horse jockey. Let's take an appreciation for how difficult it is to OWN your sport for back-to-back Olympics. Born in 1606 to a bourgeois family in Langres in northwest France, Jeanne Mance founded Montrals first hospital. Nancy Greene, nicknamed Tiger for her aggressive style of skiing, is one of the most decorated alpine skiers in Canadian history. updated December 20, 2017, 7:59 pm, by Getty/Tim Clayton-Corbis As Insider reported, 23-year-old Osaka, the No. Melissa Benoist, American actress, of partial French descent through paternal great-grandfather. Canadians have never been the strongest contenders in the summer Olympics, but for an entire generation of Canadian children, Donovan Bailey represented the height of Canadian pride. In 2019, The Sports Network named Rachel Homan the fourth-greatest Canadian female curler of all time. He also won a gold medal at the 1981 Pacific Conference Games and at the 1986 Commonwealth Games. Ethel Smith (1907 - 1979). Canadian Olympic School Program: Black History Collection. Hockey as he is commonly known, still holds the record for most games played in the NHL. The Ontario native has also represented Canada on the international stage several times, including being a member of the bronze medal winning squad at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship. When you have those kinds of stats, you can find yourself on a Google Doodle or in a Heritage Minute. Samir Hussein 23/35 Michael Bubl Born in Burnaby, British Columbia, the crooner is one of Canada's most. Rachel Homan is a Canadian professional curler best known for winning the gold medal at the 2017 World Curling Championships. Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions. Donovan Bailey is a retired Jamaican-Canadian sprinter. He spent five years inside the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings, sandwiched around his historic Masters win in 2003. Great achievements in Canadian sports are recognized by Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. You probably think of hockey and a variety of other winter sports, anything that requires snow and ice. She sings in both French and English, layering beautiful vocal hooks and incredible musical arrangements into one awesome package. Canadian teammate Ethel Catherwood won gold in high jump. The Great One holds almost every NHL record you can think of and helped Edmonton become the City of Champions in the late 1980s. He is the first Jamaican-born athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. 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. Tom Longboat was an Onondaga athlete who specialized in distance running. He continues to inspire countless Canadians after all these years. She then represented Great Britain at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games, winning a silver medal in both the events. He followed that up with a pair of gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games in the 100m and 200m, and bronze medals at the 2015 World Championships in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay. The poorly organized revolt was quickly suppressed, and Papineau went into exile. Like Terry Fox, Rick Hansen is often honoured for his courage and strength against adversity, but hes also celebrated as a truly gifted athlete. For instance, though there have been several notable Canadian baseball players, Fergie Jenkins was the first Canadian to win the Cy Young Award. Despite having just one MLB team, Canada has produced some talented baseball players over the years, but none compare to Fergie Jenkins. Our focus was to represent aboriginal people on the world stage in sport and I think that's what we did.". 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. Famous French Americans or Celebrities of French Descent! Famous Canadian Sports Personalities Brooke Henderson. 6 Cross-country skiing. Much like Mario Lemieux, theres a good chance Orr would be considered the greatest hockey player of all time if his career wasnt cut short by injury. After retiring from tennis in 1932, he became pretty busy with his inventions, filing 20 new patents between the 1960s and 80s. Mario Lemieux was the first overall draft pick in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, and he certainly didnt disappoint. He once held the world record for the 100 meters and is considered the greatest Canadian sprinter of all time. 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. He was the youngest player to ever win 2 titles at 3 tennis grand slams and the first one to win the French Championship Grand Slam title in mens single in 1925. According to the 2016 census,Frenchwas the mother tongue language of 7,166,705 people, or 21 per cent of the Canadian population. When it comes to sports in which Canadians are underrepresented, being the first goes a long way.