Marc Gagnon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	(1975-05-24) May 24, 1975 (age 50) Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
Sport
Sport	Short track speed skating
Medal record Men's short track speed skating Representing  Canada Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 0 2 World Championships 14 10 5 World Team Championships 5 1 0 Olympic Games Gold 1998 Nagano 5000 m relay Gold 2002 Salt Lake City 500 m Gold 2002 Salt Lake City 5000 m relay Bronze 1994 Lillehammer 1000 m Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City 1500 m World Championships Gold 1993 Beijing Overall Gold 1993 Beijing 1000 m Gold 1994 Guildford Overall Gold 1994 Guildford 1000 m Gold 1995 Gjøvik 1000 m Gold 1995 Gjøvik 5000 m relay Gold 1996 The Hague Overall Gold 1996 The Hague 1500 m Gold 1997 Nagano 1500 m Gold 1998 Vienna Overall Gold 1998 Vienna 1500 m Gold 1998 Vienna 1000 m Gold 1998 Vienna 5000 m relay Gold 2001 Jeonju 1500 m Silver 1993 Beijing 500 m Silver 1994 Guildford 1500 m Silver 1995 Gjøvik Overall Silver 1996 The Hague 1000 m Silver 1996 The Hague 3000 m Silver 1996 The Hague 5000 m relay Silver 1997 Nagano Overall Silver 1997 Nagano 5000 m relay Silver 2001 Jeonju 3000 m Silver 2001 Jeonju 5000 m relay Bronze 1993 Beijing 3000 m Bronze 1994 Guildford 3000 m Bronze 1994 Guildford 5000 m relay Bronze 1997 Nagano 3000 m Bronze 2001 Jeonju Overall World Team Championships Gold 1995 Zoetermeer Team Gold 1996 Lake Placid Team Gold 1998 Bormio Team Gold 2000 The Hague Team Gold 2001 Nobeyama Team Silver 1994 Cambridge Team

Marc Gagnon (born May 24, 1975) is a famous Canadian short track speed skater who is now retired. He was an amazing athlete on the ice! Marc won the title of Overall World Champion four times. These wins were in 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1998. He also earned three gold medals at the Olympics.

Marc Gagnon's Skating Journey

Marc Gagnon was born in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada. His Olympic journey began in 1994. By then, he had already won the World Championships in 1993. At the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal. This was in the 1000-meter race.

Four years later, Marc competed in Nagano, Japan, at the 1998 Winter Olympics. There, he won a gold medal with his Canadian relay team.

Olympic Success in Salt Lake City

The 2002 Salt Lake City Games were Marc Gagnon's most successful Olympics. He won a total of three medals there. He earned a bronze medal in the 1500-meter event. He also won two gold medals. One gold was in the 500-meter race. The other gold was again as part of the Canadian relay team.

Marc Gagnon's disqualification in the 1000-meter race at the 2002 Olympics was quite memorable. It was part of a series of unexpected events. These events led to Australian Steven Bradbury winning a very surprising gold medal.

Marc Gagnon's Amazing Records

Marc Gagnon won a total of five medals across three Winter Olympic Games. This made him the most decorated Canadian athlete in Winter Olympic history for a time. Later, other athletes surpassed his record. These include long track speed skaters Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes. Short track speed skater Charles Hamelin also has more medals. Each of them has six Olympic medals.

Marc Gagnon is tied with a few other Canadian athletes. These include track and field athlete Phil Edwards and fellow short track speed skater François-Louis Tremblay. Together, they are among the five most decorated Canadian athletes in all Olympic Games.

World Championship Wins

Marc Gagnon won his Overall World Championships in 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1998. He was the first man to become a four-time Overall World Champion. Besides his gold medals, he also finished second twice and third once in these championships.

Awards and Recognition

In 2007, Marc Gagnon was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. The following year, in 2008, he was also inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. These honors celebrate his incredible career in speed skating.