Former Edmonton Grads basketball team members (left to right) Edith Stone Sutton (1930-34), Margaret MacBurney . He bred and raced Standardbred horses as a hobby. He retired from professional football in 2006. Christian via wrestlingrumors.net Christian was pigeonholed for the longest time as a "tag team specialist" and for the most part he was exactly that early on in his career. Born in Montral in 1786, he grew up at his family's estate and studied law. In 2001, he became part of NBAs San Antonio Spurs team as a pointguard and went on to become a 4-time NBA champion. While he started his training in ice hockey at age 5, he later switched to figure skating. His championship wins and titles are too many to name, but hes won the Indianapolis 500, and the Formula One World Championshiponly the third racer to have done so and the first Canadian to win the Indy 500 and F-1 championships. At the time of his retirement, Gretzky held 61 NHL records. 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. During this time, she also championed human rights while serving on various federal councils and founded several associations that worked for the welfare of women. Those include Sidney Crosby, Milos Raonic, Penny Oleksiak and Andre de Grasse, just to name a few. Andrew Stawicki/Toronto Star via Getty Images. Hughes is known for her athletic achievements as well as her humanitarian work. updated May 7, 2015, 5:50 pm, by 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. 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. 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. Gordie Howe Army Howard Army Howard competes in the 4th round of the 100m at the Inter-Allied Games at the Pershing Stadium in Paris in July 1919. He remains the only defenseman to lead the league in scoring, which he did twice, although Brent Burns is trying his best to join Orr in that regard this season. No surprise she was voted the top female Canadian athlete of the 20th century. 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. He gradually gave up politics but still had significant influence. 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. Georges St. Pierre Hometown: Montreal, Quebec. 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) 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 Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov showed the world that Canadians can play tennis as well as the rest of them. In this category, we zone in on individual sports. At her first Olympics at London 2012, George made the 100 hurdles final, finishing sixth. 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. Muhammed Ali said Chuvalo was the toughest fighter he ever faced. Better known as GSP, Georges helped to turn the UFC and mixed martial arts mainstream. 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. Once in Qubec City, she met Marie-Madeleine de Chauvigny de la Peltrie, founder of the Ursulines in Qubec. He is best known for his charitable endeavor, Man in Motion World Tour, and is associated with many initiatives to fund spinal cord treatment research. 1 ranking from 1926 to 1927. She competed in track and field at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. Hi, Im Christine a full-time traveler and career woman. In 2019, The Sports Network named Rachel Homan the fourth-greatest Canadian female curler of all time. Donald Edmond "Donnie" Wahlberg Jr. was born on August 17, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts into a family of Swedish (from his paternal grandfather), Irish, and more distant French-Canadian, English, and Scottish, descent. He won gold twice at the 1996 games and was the record-holder for the 100m sprint. Mario Lemieux -- When looking at the top-five French speaking players of all time, No . Canadian Olympic School Program: Black History Collection. Cindy Klassen Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. 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. Wickenheiser was a member of the Canadian national team for 23 years, leading the team to four gold medals and a silver medal in Nagano when she was just 19. Canadian track and field athlete and Paralympian Rick Hansen is a 3-time Paralympic Games champion. 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. To mark its 30th 8 Figure skating. Harold Ballard was a Canadian sportsman and businessman. But for these 12 athletes, both seasons are their favourite as they have competed at the summer and winter Olympic Games. Though they went undefeated (27-0) through FOUR Olympic Games (1924-1936), there were no gold medals to show around their necks. The following is a list of Canadian sports personalities. Later, she likely worked as a nurse at a hospital in her hometown. In PyeongChang 2018, Humphries partnered with sprinter Phylicia George winning a bronze medal. Ben Johnson is a Canadian retired sprinter who was adjudged the world's fastest man during the 198788 season after he broke the 60m and 100m indoor world records. Here we profile the ultimate fighter for clean sport and a woman who changes the conversation around ability. Ron Turcotte is a Canadian former race horse jockey. Moyse chose to push for next-generation pilot, Alyssa Rissling. Brooke has been a top-10 competitor on the LPGA for a couple years now, but she's still just 21 years old. Despite a short career, Owen Hart is one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers of all time. Lets dive into the list of some of the most famous French athletes of all time. Donovan Bailey Hometown: Manchester, Jamaica (immigrated to Oakville, Ontario). Parker himself turned pro at the age of 17. Off the field, she continues to be a inspiration to countless Canadian girls with their own dreams of athletic glory. Adriana John ), BC company retracts statement on cocaine production and sale, 5 things you need to know this morning: March 3, 2023, Transportation Safety Board investigating emergency WestJet landing in Kelowna, Kelowna gardeners wont want to miss the annual Seedy Sunday event, Joly and Chinese counterpart confront each other over interference claims, 3 skiers killed in Wednesday's BC avalanche were from Germany. The 20 year old McDavid is currently in his 2nd season with the NHLs Edmonton Oilers, and is the teams captain. . You could debate about which male hockey player on this list is the best, but theres not much doubt that Hayley Wickenheiser is the greatest female hockey player in history. Few athletes on this list hold the type of legacy that Fox has among Canadians. This list answers the questions, "What famous female athletes are from Canada?" and "Who are the greatest female Canadian athletes?" Sydney Leroux Age: 32 Mary Pierce Age: 48 Carey May Age: 63 Sarah Murphy Age: 35 Helen Upperton Age: 43 Sarah Podorieszach Age: 33 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. However, in recent years a number of Canadians in various sports have made an impact at the highest levels. 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 has won two silver medals and three bronze medals in two Olympic Games so far. At 7 feet and 4 inches tall, which was a result of acromegaly, Andr Ren Roussimoff was better known by his fitting ring name Andr the Giant., Roussimoff started his wrestling career in 1966, relocating to North America five years later and consequently becoming a mainstay of World Wrestling Federation (then called World Wide Wrestling Federation or WWWF), where he easily became a fan favorite. Rick Hansen Like Terry Fox, Rick Hansen is often honoured for his courage and strength against adversity, but he's also celebrated as a truly gifted athlete. Copyright 2023 by AncoraThemes. 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. Let's take an appreciation for how difficult it is to OWN your sport for back-to-back Olympics. She is the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to reach the finals of a Grand Slam in singles. They were 19-year-old pups when they represented Canada in London 2012 and veterans when the team finished seventh in Rio 2016. Longo's professional racing career started in 1979. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Five years later, he received his first players license. Probably Canadas most famous Paralympic athlete, hes won three golds, two silvers and one bronze between 1980 and 1984. She has worn the Canadian jersey at 4 FIFA Womens World Cups and 3 Summer Olympic Games, earning bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Now, Humphries competes for the United States after an acrimonious split from the Canadian program. 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. In 1916 she married Pierre Casgrain, a federal Liberal politician. Called the greatest hockey player of all time by many and its unlikely hell lose that title anytime soon. 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!) Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Velma Springstead was a Canadian athlete best remembered for winning a gold medal at the 1925 Canadian Track and Field Championships in Halifax. Avril Lavigne, Singer Avril Lavigne VEVO Avril Lavigne has been making music almost her whole life, and she is without a doubt one of the most successful musicians ever to come out of Canada. Desai Williams was a Canadian sprinter best remembered for winning a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He continues to inspire countless Canadians after all these years. She also set Canadian womens records in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly. Zidane is a Muslim of Algerian-French descent. Nicknamed The Big Train, Lionel Conacher might be the least known athlete on this list, despite having a national award named after him. Stefanie Reid has also won a gold medal at the 2014 European Championships and 2017 World Championships. Candice Quigley Cartier was born in 1814 to a merchant family in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, north of 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. We recognize the resilience of Indigenous storytellers and Knowledge Keepers who have kept their stories alive despite attempts to silence them. He is the first Jamaican-born athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. They became just the third trio of sisters to compete in the same individual event at the Winter Games. List features athletes like Kaillie Humphries, Lynn Kanuka-Williams. Probably Canada's most famous Paralympic athlete, he's won three golds, two silvers and one bronze between 1980 and 1984. After 1867, Cartier played a key role in bringing Manitoba and British Columbia into Confederation, secured the repatriation of Ruperts Land, and pushed for the building of the transcontinental railway. Women's basketball didn't become an official Olympic sport until 1976. Shes also Canadas most decorated female athlete, with 24 medals in speed skating. She was a downhill skier before switching to cycling at the urging of her coach, Patrice Ciprelli, who later became her husband. However, France has also produced some of the worlds most famous athletes. Clara Hughes (Road Cycling/Speed Skating) Hughes has won six Olympic medals in her . This article originally appeared in the April-May 2017issue ofCanadas History. Crosby also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada, including the 2010 final, where he scored a famous golden goal in the finals. France is most noted for its amazing breads, cheeses, and wines; art, architecture, and fashion; and of course, its fabulous destinations. Born William Anthony Parker, Jr., in Belgium to an African-American father and a Dutch mother, Tony Parker was raised in France and became a naturalized French citizen at the age of 15. Captain Canada himself, Michael Saunders, made it to the MLB All-Star game. Here are the Top 10 Canadian athletes in the world today. He also has bronze medals from the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2013 World Championships. She ran the anchor leg for Jane Bell, Ethel Smith and Myrtle Cook as Canada won gold in the inaugural 4x100-metre relay. 10 Ice hockey. 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. Mike Weir was one of the first Canadians to achieve success at the highest level in golf. Perhaps no other name in the history of French sports is more popular today than Lacoste. Nancy Greene 7. This whole list could be populated with hockey players, but to add a little variety, Ive chosen to limit their representation on the list. She remains the only athlete to win multiple medals in both the summer and winter Olympics. He then set or equalled world records in the 60-yard indoor dash, the 100-yard dash, the 100 m sprint and the 440-yard relay. 5 Bobsleigh. ), if Nancy Greene pounced, there wasn't much her competition could do about it. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Kurt Browning. Had it not been for some bizarre and unfortunate Olympic qualifying rules and domestic standards,they would have competed at Tokyo 2020 in the debut of 3-on-3 basketball and been a medal favourite. Anglo-Jamaican in origin, the sportsperson specializes in 100m and 200m and began his athletic career with the USC Trojans while in college. The Canadian Press awards the Lionel Conacher award to the countrys male athlete of the year. Warner picked up his first Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 2016 Rio Games, and also has silver and bronze medals from the 2015 and 2013 World Championships. Nicknamed the Man of Bronze, Phil Edwards won five bronze medals for Canada at the Olympic Games between 1928 and 1936. Mbapp was born to a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother in Paris. Ben Johnson also won a gold medal at the 1985 World Indoor Championships. Born in Montral in 1896, Casgrain was the daughter of businessman and politician Sir Rodolphe Forget and Lady Blanche MacDonald. Two-time Olympic medalist Canadian sprinter Aaron Brown has also been a World Champion in 2022. Indigenous Canadian actor Jay Silverheels gained international popularity for playing Tonto, the Native American companion of the protagonist in the American western TV series The Lone Ranger. Some that come to mind are Hockey Hall of Famer Angela James, the late freestyle skiing legend Sarah Burke, superb athlete and sports administrator Abby Hoffman and others. As one of the worlds best decathletes, London, Ontarios Damian Warner is deserving of a spot on this list of the best Canadian athletes. He spent five years inside the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings, sandwiched around his historic Masters win in 2003. Similarly to Andre De Grasse, Penny Oleksiak used the 2016 Summer Olympics as a means to catapult herself to the forefront of her sport. He hasnt left the sport entirely, playing for charity and coaching after his retirement. Throughout his career in both politics and journalism, he fought for the protection of minorities namely Canadians in the Commonwealth and French-Canadians outside Qubec. Only 22 years old, it looks like De Grasse will be a major player in international sprinting in the future. Marcheline Bertrand, actress of half French-Canadian ancestry, mother of actress Angelina Jolie. When it comes to sports in which Canadians are underrepresented, being the first goes a long way. One of the enduring memories of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games was that of moguls gold medallist Justine Dufour-Lapointe standing on the top step of the podium, looking to her right and holding hands with her older sister Chloe, the silver medallist. Three hundred and seventy-five years ago, a small group of French settlers faced unthinkable hardship and danger to establish what would become the great city of Montral. Or, in the case of the Canadian women's hockey team, back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Despite having just one MLB team, Canada has produced some talented baseball players over the years, but none compare to Fergie Jenkins. Alexandre Lippmann, French fencer (pe), Olympic champion. Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages on wikipedia. Lloyd Eisler is a Canadian former pairs skater who won the Olympic bronze medal in 1992 and 1994 along with his partner Isabelle Brasseur. He became famous for his endurance and the way he finished a race with a spectacular burst of speed. By the 1960s, his idea of a bicultural Canada had made its way to Parliament, where it was promoted by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Make a donation to Canadas History Society. Jeannie Longos athletic career began in her hometown in the French Alps. In 2022, Andre De Grasse won a gold medal at the World Championships. Before there was Montral, there was Hochelaga a sixteenth-century agricultural community that mysteriously vanished. Historic Irish neighbourhood is enjoying a renaissance. 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. A true family affair. Comments are welcome while open. When they were six, their whole community was up and moved to Inuvik. Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions. She joined the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) athlete committee in 2005 and in 2012 was appointed to their executive committee. Sharon Firth said: "The world was so fascinated by us skinny indian girls and boys and how we danced on skis. Tom Longboat was an Onondaga athlete who specialized in distance running. Harold Ballard was made an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and 1987 respectively. Four years later, she made the hurdles final once again and helped the 4x100 relay team to sixth-place finish. Without a doubt, Canadas greatest basketball player. With millions of followers, he is definitely one of France most famous athletes on social media. His amazing career is one of the longest in NHL history, and though we sadly lost him earlier this year, hell always remain a huge part of Canadian history. Obviously the diamond took a back seat to the ice as she went on to the most prolific career in women's hockey. This International Womens Day, lets celebrate some of Canada's female heroes of the past and not-so distant past. At 26 years old, Raonic is in the prime of his career, so look for him to be a major player on the ATP tour in the future. . She retired after 2012 London Games after finishing fifth in the time trial. Andre De Grasse is a Canadian track and field athlete best known for winning the gold medal in the men's 200 metres event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. 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). He is best known for his performance in the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won two bronze medals. 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. She was 15 when she began training in hurdles. 22. Gretzky holds the title of The Great One due to his undeniable skill in the game, but why is it then that Gordie Howe holds the title of Mr.Hockey? Canada does have a strong history of producing great hockey players, skiers, skaters, and athletes who compete in other winter sports. Canadas National History Society acknowledges that we meet and work across the ancestral lands of many Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Mtis. He has been a household name in Canada for years as he tore up developmental and junior hockey leagues as a teenager before making his NHL debut at 18 in 2015. 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? Robbed of that Olympic moment, she formed a powerful voice in the boardroom. A lot can happen in four years. A large part of that is the career of Christine Sinclair, who can be considered one of the best females to ever play the game. He later quit sports to pursue acting. Lou Marsh was a Canadian athlete who participated in a wide variety of sports during his playing career. He owned the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. She was part of the first Canadian women's track and field team to compete internationally. In span of his career, he had 10 grand slams to boot, 24 career titles, and was at No. An MFC middleweight champion, he has also won 3 UFC titles. We kicked off our series of Canada 150 articles last week with Canadas 15 best ski resorts. 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. Percy Williams is widely regarded as the greatest Canadian Olympic athlete of all time. Canada is a nation that has an incredibly diverse interest in sports. 2021 all rights reserved, SeasonedPros.ca. Hayley Wickenheiser Hometown: Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. A significant milestone, but even more significant is that hes also the first Canadian to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. However, these did not stop him from becoming one of the greatest athletes France has ever had. Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map. Ferguson Jenkins Hometown: Chatham, Ontario. He holds the Canadian record in high jump, clearing 2.40m in 2014. The 167 goals puts her second all-time in international goals scored, behind American Abby Wambach. Quite eerily, MacLennan is coming back from another injury (a broken ankle) as she prepares to defend her Olympic crown a THIRD time, this time in Tokyo. Previously dominated by the Europeans, Greene took over in 1967 winning the inaugural World Cup and seven out of 16 events on the circuit that year. The first ever World Cup ski race was held in 1967. As the first female leader of a political party in Canada, Thrse Casgrain changed the political landscape forever. She's regarded as the greatest women's hockey player of all-time, but at one point, she traded in that hockey stick, helmet & shoulder pads for a bat, ball & glove. Starting off our list we have Andrew Wiggins, the professional basketball player from the NBAs Minnesota Timberwolves. 1. The list features athletes from a wide variety of sports and eras. Primarily a speed skater, Hughes also won two bronze medals in cycling at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Let's just say this three-time Olympian stars on tracks. Though Browning never won an Olympic medal, he is one of the most successful and popular Canadian figure skaters of all time. The world-famous Andr the Giant died of congestive heart failure in Paris in 1993, after attending his fathers funeral.