Charles Hamelin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Charles Hamelin

Personal information
Born	(1984-04-14) April 14, 1984 (age 41) Lévis, Quebec, Canada
Height	1.75 m
Weight	71 kg
Sport
Country	Canada
Sport	Short track speed skating
Club	Les Fines Lames de Ste-Julie
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	500 m: 40.091 (2016) 1000 m: 1:21.961 (2012) 1500 m: 2:09.098 (2011) 3000 m: 4:38.905 (2002)
Medal record Men's short track speed skating Representing  Canada Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 1 1 World Championships 14 14 14 World Team Championships 2 4 0 Olympic Games Gold 2010 Vancouver 500 m Gold 2010 Vancouver 5000 m relay Gold 2014 Sochi 1500 m Gold 2022 Beijing 5000 m relay Silver 2006 Turin 5000 m relay Bronze 2018 Pyeongchang 5000 m relay World Championships Gold 2005 Beijing 5000 m relay Gold 2006 Minneapolis 3000 m Gold 2006 Minneapolis 5000 m relay Gold 2007 Milan 500 m Gold 2009 Vienna 500 m Gold 2011 Sheffield 5000 m relay Gold 2012 Shanghai 5000 m relay Gold 2013 Debrecen 5000 m relay Gold 2014 Montreal 1500 m Gold 2016 Seoul 1000 m Gold 2018 Montreal Overall Gold 2018 Montreal 1000 m Gold 2018 Montreal 1500 m Gold 2021 Dordrecht 1500 m Silver 2005 Beijing 500 m Silver 2007 Milan Overall Silver 2007 Milan 1000 m Silver 2007 Milan 5000 m relay Silver 2008 Gangneung 500 m Silver 2008 Gangneung 5000 m relay Silver 2011 Sheffield Overall Silver 2011 Sheffield 1000m Silver 2011 Sheffield 1500m Silver 2012 Shanghai 500 m Silver 2015 Moscow 1000 m Silver 2016 Seoul Overall Silver 2016 Seoul 5000 m relay Silver 2018 Montreal 5000 m relay Bronze 2006 Minneapolis 1000 m Bronze 2009 Vienna Overall Bronze 2009 Vienna 3000 m Bronze 2012 Shanghai 1000 m Bronze 2013 Debrecen Overall Bronze 2013 Debrecen 1000 m Bronze 2013 Debrecen 1500 m Bronze 2013 Debrecen 3000 m Bronze 2014 Montreal Overall Bronze 2014 Montreal 500 m Bronze 2015 Moscow 1500 m Bronze 2016 Seoul 3000 m Bronze 2017 Rotterdam 1000 m Bronze 2022 Montreal 5000 m relay World Team Championships Gold 2005 Chuncheon Team Gold 2007 Budapest Team Silver 2006 Montreal Team Silver 2008 Harbin Team Silver 2009 Heerenveen Team Silver 2010 Bormio Team

Charles Hamelin (born April 14, 1984) is a Canadian short track speed skater who is now retired. He competed for almost 20 years on the world stage. Charles took part in five Winter Olympic Games and won six Olympic medals. This includes four gold medals, which is a record for a Canadian man. He also won 38 medals at the World Championships, with 14 of them being gold. He was also the overall World Cup winner in 2014 and the overall World Champion in 2018. Many people consider Charles Hamelin one of Canada's best athletes ever.

Charles Hamelin: Speed Skating Star

Charles Hamelin started his journey in speed skating at a young age. He quickly showed great talent on the ice. His hard work and dedication helped him become one of the best.

Early Days and First Olympics

Charles first competed at the World Junior Championships in 2002. He helped his team win a silver medal in the relay race. In 2003, he won two silver medals and a bronze in the relay at the World Junior Championships. This showed he was a rising star.

He joined the senior World Cup circuit in the 2003–2004 season. His main role was on the relay team. In 2005, he won his first World Championship gold medal. This was in the 5000 m relay. He also won a silver medal in the 500 m race.

Charles made his first Canadian Olympic team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He finished fourth in the 1500 m race. He then won a silver medal with the Canadian relay team. This was his first Olympic medal!

After the 2006 Olympics, Charles continued to win. He became the 500 m world champion in 2007 and again in 2009. He also won more medals at the World Championships.

Vancouver 2010: Home Gold!

The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver, Canada. Charles Hamelin was a big medal favourite. He was the reigning 500 m world champion. Everyone had high hopes for him.

He faced tough competition in the 1500 m and 1000 m races. He didn't win medals in these events. But he didn't give up. The crowd cheered loudly for him. He felt proud despite the challenges.

Hamelin kisses former girlfriend and fellow National team speed skater Marianne St-Gelais after winning the gold medal.

Then came his best event, the 500 m race. Charles won the gold medal! His teammate François-Louis Tremblay won bronze. It was a very close race. The world record holder slipped, and Charles took the lead.

On the same night, the Canadian team won gold in the 5000 m relay. Charles shared this gold with his brother, François Hamelin, and other teammates. He said winning two gold medals in 30 minutes was "incredible."

Road to More Olympic Glory

After the Vancouver Olympics, Charles kept working hard. He wanted to improve in longer distances. He focused on new techniques for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He aimed to become stronger in all races.

In 2011, he won a gold medal in the relay at the World Championships. He also took three silver medals. This showed his training was paying off. He continued to perform well in the 2012 season. He won a silver in the 500 m and a bronze in the 1000 m at the World Championships. He also won another relay gold.

Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018

Charles was part of the Canadian Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He reached the final of the 1500 m race. He took the lead early and held it. He won the gold medal! This was Canada's second gold in Sochi. He was very proud to win in an event that was once considered his weakness.

In August 2017, Charles was named to his fourth Olympic team for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He faced some tough luck in his individual races. But he finished strong in the 5000 m relay. The Canadian team won a bronze medal. This was his fifth Olympic medal!

After the Olympics, Charles had a great comeback. He won his first ever World Championship overall title. He won gold in the 1000 m and 1500 m events. He also won a silver in the men's relay. He was the first Canadian man in 20 years to win this title.

Beijing 2022: A Golden Farewell

Charles decided to continue skating for the 2022 Winter Olympics. This was his fifth and final Olympic Games. He was also chosen as one of Canada's flagbearers for the opening ceremony. This is a great honour!

In Beijing, Charles competed in the 1500 m individual event. He was disqualified in the semi-final. But his final Olympic race was amazing. He competed in the 5000 m relay. The Canadian team won the gold medal!

This was Charles's fourth Olympic gold medal. It tied the record for the most gold medals for a Canadian Olympian. He said it was a difficult decision to keep training. But he believed in himself. He called it the finest win of his career.

After the Olympics, Charles competed in the 2022 World Championships in Montreal. He focused on the relay event. The Canadian team won the bronze medal. This was the 38th and final World Championship medal of his amazing career.

Life Off the Ice

Speed skating is a family passion for Charles. His brother, François Hamelin, is also an Olympian and speed skater. Their father, Yves Hamelin, used to be the director of the national short track team.

Charles was once on Hello! Canada magazine's list of the 50 most beautiful Canadians. This was in 2010. He was with his girlfriend at the time, fellow speed skater Marianne St-Gelais. They later announced their split in 2018.

Charles is now engaged to sports journalist Geneviève Tardif. They have a daughter named Violette, who was born in April 2020. They had to delay their wedding twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.