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Canada at the Olympics facts for kids

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Canada at the
Olympics
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
IOC code CAN
NOC Canadian Olympic Committee
Website  
Medals
Ranked 16th
Gold Silver Bronze Total
157 189 232 578
Summer appearances
  • 1900
  • 1904
  • 1908
  • 1912
  • 1920
  • 1924
  • 1928
  • 1932
  • 1936
  • 1948
  • 1952
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
Winter appearances
  • 1924
  • 1928
  • 1932
  • 1936
  • 1948
  • 1952
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1998
  • 2002
  • 2006
  • 2010
  • 2014
  • 2018
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

Canada has sent athletes to every Winter Olympic Games and every Summer Olympic Games since its debut at the 1900 games with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics, which it boycotted along with the USA and other countries. Canada has won at least one medal at every Olympics in which it has competed. The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is the National Olympic Committee for Canada.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Canada would win more gold medals than any other competing nation for the first time. Canada also served as the host nation of the 2010 Winter Olympics, with the games taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Hosted Games

Canada has hosted the winter Olympic games twice, the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Games Host city Dates Nations Participants Events
1976 Summer Olympics Montreal, Quebec 17 July – 1 August 92 6,028 198
1988 Winter Olympics Calgary, Alberta 13 – 28 February 57 1,423 46
2010 Winter Olympics Vancouver, British Columbia 12 – 28 February 82 2,629 86

Unsuccessful bids

Games City Winner of bid
1956 Winter Olympics Montréal Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
1956 Summer Olympics Montréal Melbourne, Australia
1964 Winter Olympics Calgary Innsbruck, Austria
1968 Winter Olympics Calgary Grenoble, France
1972 Winter Olympics Calgary Sapporo, Japan
1972 Summer Olympics Montréal Munich, West Germany
1976 Winter Olympics Vancouver Innsbruck, Austria
1996 Summer Olympics Toronto Atlanta, United States
2002 Winter Olympics Québec City Salt Lake City, United States
2008 Summer Olympics Toronto Beijing, China
2030 Winter Olympics Vancouver Nice and French Alps, France

Medal tables

Summer games

Canada at the Summer Olympics

Winter games

Canada at the Winter Olympics

Records

In 2012, Equestrian show jumper Ian Millar competed at his tenth Summer Olympics, tying the record for most Olympic games participated in set by Austrian sailor Hubert Raudaschl between 1964 and 1996. He has been named to eleven straight Olympic teams, but did not compete at the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Canadian boycott. In 2008 he won his first medal, a silver medal in the team jumping event.

Clara Hughes is the inaugural and only Olympian of any country or gender, to win medals all Olympic Games: two Summer and four Winter medals. Cindy Klassen and Charles Hamelin hold the record for most Winter medals won by a Canadian, with six apiece. Penny Oleksiak and Andre De Grasse are the most decorated Canadian athletes to ever compete at the Summer Games, each winning 7 medals.

Catriona Le May Doan became the inaugural Canadian to defend their gold medal at the Olympics. She repeated her gold medal in the women's 500m long track speedskating event at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics from the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

Alexandre Bilodeau became the first freestyle skiing gold medallist to defend his Olympic title, and first repeat gold medallist, winning the men's moguls at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He became the second Canadian to defend their Olympic gold, and first man.

Trampoline gymnast Rosie MacLennan was the first Canadian to defend their gold medal in an individual sport at the Summer Olympics. She won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, the inaugural Olympian to defend their title in that discipline.

After captaining the women's ice hockey team to gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Caroline Ouellette became the first Winter Olympian of any country or gender to enter four or more career events and win gold in each. Oullette had previously won gold in ice hockey in 2002, 2006, and 2010.

Jennifer Jones skipped the Canadian women's team at the 2014 Winter Olympics to a gold medal. She is the first ever female skip in Olympic history to be undefeated throughout the tournament. Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen and spare Kirsten Wall went unbeaten with an 11-0 record defeating China, Sweden (round-robin and finals), Great Britain (round-robin and semi-finals), Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, Russia, the United States, and Korea.

During the 2016 Summer Olympics, swimmer Penny Oleksiak became the inaugural Canadian of either gender to win four medals at a single Summer Games and the distinction of the country's youngest Olympic multiple medalist at the age of 16: a gold in the 100 m freestyle, a silver in the 100 m butterfly, and two bronzes in the women's freestyle relays (4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m). She shares the distinction of being the co-inaugural Olympic medalist born in the 21st century when, in women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay a few days earlier, she won the bronze medal with teammate Taylor Ruck.

After capturing gold in 2010 Winter Olympics, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir became the inaugural ice dancers from North America to win an Olympic gold medal, ending the 34-year streak of the Europeans. They were the inaugural ice dance team to win the Olympic gold at home ice and the inaugural ice dancers to win gold at their Olympic debut. They are the youngest pair to win an Olympic title at 20 and 22 respectively. They would win two more silver medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics and two more gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics, giving them the distinction of being the most decorated figure skaters at the Winter Games.

Broadcaster Richard Garneau covered 23 Olympic Games, more than any other journalist in the world, starting with Rome in 1960 to London in 2012, missing only the Atlanta and Nagano Games. The International Olympic Committee awarded him posthumously the Pierre de Coubertin medal in recognition of his exceptional service to the Olympic movement.

Top medal earners

  • Years in bolded text are Olympics at which that competitor won a medal.
Athlete Sport Type Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
De Grasse, AndreAndre De Grasse Athletics Summer 2016, 2020, 2024 2 2 3 7
Oleksiak, PennyPenny Oleksiak Swimming Summer 2016, 2020, 2024 1 3 3 7
Hamelin, CharlesCharles Hamelin Short track Winter 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 4 1 1 6
Klassen, CindyCindy Klassen Speed skating Winter 2002, 2006, 2010 1 2 3 6
Hughes, ClaraClara Hughes Cycling Summer 1996, 2000, 2012 0 0 2 6
Speed skating Winter 2002, 2006, 2010 1 1 2
Hefford, JaynaJayna Hefford Ice hockey Winter 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 4 1 0 5
Wickenheiser, HayleyHayley Wickenheiser
Moir, ScottScott Moir Figure skating Winter 2010, 2014, 2018 3 2 0 5
Virtue, TessaTessa Virtue
Gagnon, MarcMarc Gagnon Short track Winter 1994, 1998, 2002 3 0 2 5
Tremblay, François-LouisFrançois-Louis Tremblay Short track Winter 2002, 2006, 2010 2 2 1 5
Thompson, LesleyLesley Thompson Rowing Summer 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016 1 3 1 5
Masse, KylieKylie Masse Swimming Summer 2016, 2020, 2024 0 2 3 5
Edwards, PhilPhil Edwards Athletics Summer 1928, 1932, 1936 0 0 5 5
Ouellette, CarolineCaroline Ouellette Ice hockey Winter 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 4 0 0 4
Agosta, MeghanMeghan Agosta Ice hockey Winter 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 3 1 0 4
Botterill, JenniferJennifer Botterill Ice hockey Winter 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 3 1 0 4
Kellar, BeckyBecky Kellar
Johnston, RebeccaRebecca Johnston Ice hockey Winter 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 3 1 0 4
Poulin, Marie-PhilipMarie-Philip Poulin
McIntosh, SummerSummer McIntosh Swimming Summer 2020, 2024 3 1 0 4
Heddle, KathleenKathleen Heddle Rowing Summer 1992, 1996 3 0 1 4
McBean, MarnieMarnie McBean
Bédard, ÉricÉric Bédard Short track Winter 1998, 2002, 2006 2 1 1 4
Boucher, GaétanGaétan Boucher Speed skating Winter 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988 2 1 1 4
Davis, VictorVictor Davis Swimming Summer 1984, 1988 1 3 0 4
Morrison, DennyDenny Morrison Speed skating Winter 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 1 2 1 4
van Koeverden, AdamAdam van Koeverden Kayaking Summer 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 1 2 1 4
Groves, KristinaKristina Groves Speed skating Winter 2002, 2006, 2010 0 3 1 4
Vicent, TaniaTania Vicent Short track Winter 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 0 2 2 4
Heymans, ÉmilieÉmilie Heymans Diving Summer 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 0 2 2 4
Boutin, KimKim Boutin Short track Winter 2018, 2022 0 1 3 4
Ruck, TaylorTaylor Ruck Swimming Summer 2016, 2020, 2024 0 1 3 4
Wilson, AlexAlex Wilson Athletics Summer 1928, 1932 0 1 3 4

3+ medals at one Olympics

Athlete Sport Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
Edwards, PhilPhil Edwards Athletics 1932 Summer 0 0 800 m
1500 m
4×400 m relay
3
Wilson, AlexAlex Wilson Athletics 1932 Summer 0 800 m 400 m
4×400 m relay
3
Tanner, ElaineElaine Tanner Swimming 1968 Summer 0 100 m backstroke
200 m backstroke
4×100m freestyle 3
Davis, VictorVictor Davis Swimming 1984 Summer 200 m breaststroke 100 m breaststroke
4×100 m medley
0 3
Ottenbrite, AnneAnne Ottenbrite Swimming 1984 Summer 200 m breaststroke 100 m breaststroke 4×100 m medley 3
Boucher, GaétanGaétan Boucher Speed skating 1984 Winter 1000 m
1500 m
0 500 m 3
Gagnon, MarcMarc Gagnon Short track 2002 Winter 500 m
5000 m relay
0 1500 m 3
Klassen, CindyCindy Klassen Speed skating 2006 Winter 1500 m 1000 m
Team pursuit
3000 m
5000 m
5
Oleksiak, PennyPenny Oleksiak Swimming 2016 Summer 100 m freestyle 100 m butterfly 4×100 m freestyle
4×200 m freestyle
4
De Grasse, AndreAndre De Grasse Athletics 2016 Summer 0 200 m 100 m
4×100 m relay
3
Boutin, KimKim Boutin Short track 2018 Winter 0 1000 m 500 m
1500 m
3
MacNeil, MaggieMaggie MacNeil Swimming 2020 Summer 100 m butterfly 4x100 m freestyle 4×100 m medley 3
Masse, KylieKylie Masse Swimming 2020 Summer 0 100 m backstroke
200 m backstroke
4×100 m medley 3
Oleksiak, PennyPenny Oleksiak Swimming 2020 Summer 0 4x100 m freestyle 200 m freestyle
4×100 m medley
3
De Grasse, AndreAndre De Grasse Athletics 2020 Summer 200 m 4×100 m relay 100 m 3
Dubois, StevenSteven Dubois Short track 2022 Winter 5000 m relay 1500 m 500 m 3
Weidemann, IsabelleIsabelle Weidemann Speed skating 2022 Winter Team Pursuit 5000 m 3000 m 3
McIntosh, SummerSummer McIntosh Swimming 2024 Summer 200 m medley
400 m medley
200 m butterfly
400 m freestyle 0 4

Multiple gold medals at one Olympics

Athlete Sport Olympics Golds Total
Hodgson, GeorgeGeorge Hodgson Swimming 1912 Summer 400 m freestyle
1500 m freestyle
2
Williams, PercyPercy Williams Athletics 1928 Summer 100 m
200 m
2
Boucher, GaétanGaétan Boucher Speed skating 1984 Winter 1000 m
1500 m
2
Baumann, AlexAlex Baumann Swimming 1984 Summer 200 m medley
400 m medley
2
Waldo, CarolynCarolyn Waldo Synchronized swimming 1988 Summer Solo
Duet
2
Heddle, KathleenKathleen Heddle
Marnie McBean
Rowing 1992 Summer Coxless pair
Eight
2
Barnes, KirstenKirsten Barnes
Jessica Monroe
Brenda Taylor
Kay Worthington
Rowing 1992 Summer Coxless four
Eight
2
Bédard, MyriamMyriam Bédard Biathlon 1994 Winter Sprint
15 km
2
Bailey, DonovanDonovan Bailey Athletics 1996 Summer 100 m
4x100 m relay
2
Gagnon, MarcMarc Gagnon Short track 2002 Winter 500 m
5000 m relay
2
Hamelin, CharlesCharles Hamelin Short track 2010 Winter 500 m
5000 m relay
2
Moir, ScottScott Moir
Tessa Virtue
Figure skating 2018 Winter Ice dance
Team
2
McIntosh, SummerSummer McIntosh Swimming 2024 Summer 200 m medley
400 m medley
200 m butterfly
3

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Canadá en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

  • List of flag bearers for Canada at the Olympics
  • List of Canadian Summer Olympics gold medalists
  • List of Olympic men's ice hockey players for Canada
  • List of Olympic women's ice hockey players for Canada
  • Canadian Olympic stamps
  • Own the Podium
  • Canada at the Paralympics
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