Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics explained

Noc:CAN
Nocname:Canadian Olympic Committee
Games:Winter Olympics
Year:2006
Website: 
Location:Turin
Competitors:196
Sports:15
Flagbearer:Danielle Goyette (opening)[1]
Cindy Klassen (closing)[2]
Rank:5
Gold:7
Silver:10
Bronze:7
Appearances:auto
See also:1906 Intercalated Games

Canada competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, with a team of 196 athletes and 220 support staff.

As host of the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics, Canada was pressured to do well at the 2006 Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee's goal for 2006 was to have a top three finish in the medal count[3] or 25 total medals, as a start to reach their goal of having the highest medal count at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada had managed to increase its medal count at each Winter Olympics since the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, United States. World Cup results from the 2005–06 season seemed to indicate that Canada would have a good performance in Turin, Italy. Canada met one of those goals and nearly met the other by finishing third behind the United States and Germany with 24 medals.[4] The Games were also the first litmus test for the increased athletic funding and resources pursued by the Own the Podium 2010 program.

Another task for the Canadian contingent was to promote the 2010 Games, Vancouver and surrounding region, the province of British Columbia, as well as Canada as a nation. This was evident in the Canadian participation in the closing ceremonies of the Games and the establishment of the Canada House in Turin. The Games also provided opportunities for organizing committees to gather experience and strategies to run the Games in Vancouver.

Medalists

Canada's total medal count of 24 was the highest ever won by the nation in any Winter Olympics, and was the second highest total for the country at any Olympic games (summer or winter), exceeded only by the 44 medals won at the 1984 Summer Olympics which were boycotted by the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries. Not only did Canada increase its total medal count from the previous Winter Games for the 7th straight time (since 1980), but the total medal count was also the "best ever" for Canada for the 5th straight time (since 1992).

Canada won at least one medal in 10 of the 15 sport disciplines competed at the games, and gold medals in 6 different disciplines; both feats were unmatched by any other nation. Canada also had the most 4th and 5th-place finishes (14 and 9 respectively) of any country in these games. These results support the effectiveness of the Own the Podium 2010 program.

Cindy Klassen bested the total Olympic medals collected in a single Games by a Canadian, with 5, and bested the total Olympic medal count of any Canadian (Winter and Summer) with 6. The previous record of 3 medals at a single Olympics was held by Gaetan Boucher for the 1984 Winter Olympics and Marc Gagnon at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, Clara Hughes tied the old mark of 5 career Olympic medals, held by Marc Gagnon and Phil Edwards. Sixteen of the 24 medals were won by female athletes. At age 50, Russ Howard became the oldest Canadian gold medalist in Olympic history.| style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;"|

MedalNameSportEventDate
February 11
February 17

February 20
February 22
February 22

Jamie Korab
Russ Howard
Mark Nichols
Mike Adam
February 24
February 25

Beckie Scott
February 14

Steven Elm,
Denny Morrison
Jason Parker
Justin Warsylewicz
February 16

Clara Hughes
Cindy Klassen
Christine Nesbitt
Shannon Rempel
February 16
February 17
February 19

Lascelles Brown
February 19

Anouk Leblanc-Boucher
Amanda Overland
Kalyna Roberge
Tania Vicent
February 22
February 22
February 25

Jonathan Guilmette
Charles Hamelin
François-Louis Tremblay
Mathieu Turcotte
February 25
February 12
February 15
February 16
February 16
February 17

Amy Nixon
Glenys Bakker
Christine Keshen
Sandra Jenkins
February 23
February 25
| style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;"|
Medals by sport
SportTotal
Speed skating2428
Skeleton1113
Cross-country skiing1102
Curling1012
Freestyle skiing1001
Ice hockey1001
Short track speed skating0314
Bobsleigh0101
Figure skating0011
Snowboarding0011
Total710724

Alpine skiing

See main article: Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Men
AthleteEventFinal
Run 1Run 2Run 3TotalRank
Patrick BiggsSlalom54.38Did not finish
François BourqueSuper-Gn/a1:31.278
Giant slalom1:16.611:19.31n/a2:35.924
Combined1:40.5047.5246.233:14.2521
Thomas GrandiGiant slalom1:17.231:19.65n/a2:36.8810
Slalom53.6451.20n/a1:44.849
Erik GuaySuper-Gn/a1:31.084
Michael JanykSlalom55.3250.87n/a1:46.1917
John KuceraDownhilln/a1:51.5527
Super-Gn/a1:32.1022
Combined1:41.0446.6745.553:13.2617
Manuel Osborne-ParadisDownhilln/a1:50.4513
Super-Gn/a1:32.0220
Combined1:39.6950.11Did not start
Jean-Philippe RoyGiant slalom1:17.36Did not finish
SlalomDid not finish
Ryan SempleGiant slalomDid not finish
Combined1:41.65Did not finish
Women
AthleteEventFinal
Run 1Run 2Run 3TotalRank
Brigitte ActonGiant slalom1:02.071:09.64n/a2:11.7111
Slalom44.7547.15n/a1:31.9017
Combined40.1844.591:30.982:55.7510
Emily BrydonDownhilln/a1:58.9720
Super-Gn/a1:33.509
Combined40.9445.651:29.922:56.5113
Sherry LawrenceDownhilln/a2:00.4727
Super-Gn/a1:35.4734
Christina LustenbergerGiant slalomDid not finish
Shona RubensDownhilln/a2:00.3026
CombinedDid not finish
Genevieve SimardSuper-Gn/a1:34.3820
Giant slalom1:01.471:09.26n/a2:10.735
Kelly VanderbeekDownhilln/a1:59.6324
Super-Gn/a1:33.094

Note: In the men's combined, run 1 is the downhill, and runs 2 and 3 are the slalom. In the women's combined, run 1 and 2 are the slalom, and run 3 the downhill.

Biathlon

See main article: Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

AthleteEventFinal
TimeMissesRank
Martine AlbertWomen's sprint27:04.4273
Women's individual59:52.1565
Robin CleggMen's sprint29:12.4351
Men's pursuit40:30.33744
Men's individual59:21.5236
Sandra KeithWomen's sprint26:20.7366
Women's individual55:56.3242
Zina KocherWomen's sprint26:11.1462
Women's individual54:18.8327
Jean-Philippe LeguellecMen's sprint29:32.3260
Men's individual1:00:28.0348
David LeoniMen's sprint28:50.4142
Men's pursuit41:07.41647
Men's individual1:02:37.8665
Marie-Pierre ParentWomen's sprint27:31.1276
Women's individual1:02:57.1477
Zina Kocher
Sandra Keith
Martine Albert
Marie-Pierre Parent
Women's relay1:26:09.71117

Bobsleigh

See main article: Bobsleigh at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

AthleteEventFinal
Run 1Run 2Run 3Run 4TotalRank
Serge Despres
David Bissett
Two-man56.1355.9256.6956.933:45.6711
Pierre Lueders
Lascelles Brown
Two-manalign=center 55.57align=center 55.50align=center 56.11align=center 56.41align=center 3:43.59align=center
Suzanne Gavine-Hlady
Jamie Cruickshank
Two-woman58.4957.8658.6558.823:53.8213
Helen Upperton
Heather Moyse
Two-womanalign=center 57.37align=center 57.77align=center 58.09align=center 57.83align=center 3:51.06align=center 4
Serge Despres
Nathan Cunningham
Steve Larsen
David Bissett
Four-man56.1056.1555.6955.583:43.5218
Pierre Lueders
Ken Kotyk
Morgan Alexander
Lascelles Brown
Four-manalign=center 55.34align=center 55.43align=center 54.95align=center 55.20align=center 3:40.92align=center 4

Cross-country skiing

Sean Crooks was suspended for 5 days by the International Ski Federation for having excessive hemoglobin levels. He was able to participate in the men's sprint and 4× 10 km relay.

See main article: Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Distance
AthleteEventFinal
TotalRank
Amanda AmmarWomen's 10 km classical31:51.754
Chandra CrawfordWomen's 15 km pursuit50:35.460
Drew GoldsackMen's 15 km classical42:09.353
Men's 30 km pursuit1:24:14.356
George GreyMen's 15 km classical40:43.931
Men's 30 km pursuit1:19:08.925
Men's 50 km freestyle2:09:38.444
Chris JeffriesMen's 30 km pursuit1:26:17.061
Men's 50 km freestyle2:13:49.558
Devon KershawMen's 15 km classical41:42.747
Sara RennerWomen's 10 km classical28:33.08
Women's 15 km pursuit44:30.916
Dan RoycroftMen's 15 km classical42:39.758
Men's 30 km pursuit1:20:53.339
Men's 50 km freestyle2:13:47.557
Beckie ScottWomen's 10 km classicalDisqualified
Women's 15 km pursuit43:20.66
Milaine TheriaultWomen's 10 km classical31:30.446
Women's 15 km pursuit48:38.954
Women's 30 km freestyleDid not start
Devon Kershaw
Sean Crooks
Chris Jeffries
George Grey
Men's 4 x 10 km relay1:48:15.911
Milaine Theriault
Sara Renner
Amanda Ammar
Beckie Scott
Women's 4 x 5 km relay56:49.810
Sprint
AthleteEventQualifyingQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal
TotalRankTotalRankTotalRankTotalRank
Amanda AmmarWomen's sprint2:22.7849Did not advance49
Chandra CrawfordWomen's sprint2:51.068 Q2:14.21 Q2:13.41 Q2:12.3
Sean CrooksMen's sprint2:20.7032Did not advance32
Drew GoldsackMen's sprint2:20.6231Did not advance31
Devon KershawMen's sprint2:21.4937Did not advance37
Sara RennerWomen's sprint2:15.379 Q2:15.64Did not advance16
Beckie ScottWomen's sprint2:12.451 Q2:16.61 Q2:15.82 Q2:14.74
Phil WidmerMen's sprint2:23.7947Did not advance47
George Grey
Devon Kershaw
Men's team sprintn/a17:31.26Did not advance11
Sara Renner
Beckie Scott
Women's team sprintn/a17:19.32 Q16:37.5

Curling

See main article: Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Men's

Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Russ Howard (skip), Jamie Korab, Mike Adam (alternate)

The Canadian foursome won the country's first Olympic medal in men's curling, and became the first Winter Olympic gold medal winners from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Russ Howard was designated the skip by World Curling Federation rules, but Gushue threw last stones, and was considered to be the team leader.[5]

Gushue's rink finished first in the round-robin at the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, then beat Jeff Stoughton in the final to secure the Olympic berth.

Round-robin
  • Draw 2
  • Draw 3
  • Draw 4
  • Draw 5
  • Draw 6
  • Draw 8
  • Draw 9
  • Draw 11
  • Draw 12
  • Standings
    width=25Rankwidth=150Teamwidth=150Skipwidth=60Wonwidth=60Lost
    1Markku Uusipaavalniemi72
    2Brad Gushue63
    3Pete Fenson63
    4David Murdoch63
    5Pål Trulsen54
    6Ralph Stockli54
    7Joel Retornaz45
    8Peter Lindholm36
    9Andy Kapp36
    10Sean Becker09
    Playoffs
  • Semifinal
  • FinalThe Minister of Education for Newfoundland and Labrador canceled classes across the province in the afternoon to allow children to watch the game.[6]
  • Women's

    Shannon Kleibrink (skip), Amy Nixon, Glenys Bakker, Christine Keshen, Sandra Jenkins (alternate)

    Shannon Kleibrink's rink finished third in the round-robin at the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, then won the semifinal over Stefanie Lawton and the final over Kelly Scott to secure the Olympic berth.

    Round-robin
  • Draw 1
  • Draw 2
  • Draw 3
  • Draw 5
  • Draw 6
  • Draw 7
  • Draw 8
  • Draw 10
  • Draw 12
  • Standings
    width=25Rankwidth=150Teamwidth=150Skipwidth=60Wonwidth=60Lost
    1Anette Norberg72
    2Mirjam Ott72
    3Shannon Kleibrink63
    4Dordi Nordby63
    5Rhona Martin54
    6Ludmila Privivkova54
    7Ayumi Onodera45
    8Dorthe Holm27
    9Cassandra Johnson27
    10Diana Gaspari18
    Playoffs
  • Semifinal
  • Bronze final
  • Key: The hammer indicates which team had the last stone in the first end.

    Figure skating

    See main article: Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    AthleteEventCDSP/ODFS/FDTotal
    PointsRankPointsRankPointsRankPointsRank
    Jeffrey ButtleMen'sn/a73.296 Q154.302227.59
    Mira LeungLadies'n/a50.6114 Q94.5512145.1612
    Joannie RochetteLadies'n/a55.859 Q111.425167.275
    Emanuel SandhuMen'sn/a69.757 Q120.4914190.2413
    Shawn SawyerMen'sn/a67.2012 Q123.6312190.2412
    Jessica Dubé
    Bryce Davison
    Pairsn/a55.4811104.2310159.7110
    Marie-France Dubreuil
    Patrice Lauzon
    Ice dance37.44454.367Withdrew
    Valérie Marcoux
    Craig Buntin
    Pairsn/a55.6210102.5911158.2111
    Megan Wing
    Aaron Lowe
    Ice dance31.421249.171285.8112166.4011

    Key: CD = Compulsory Dance, FD = Free Dance, FS = Free Skate, OD = Original Dance, SP = Short Program

    Freestyle skiing

    See main article: Freestyle skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    Jennifer Heil became the first Canadian woman to ever win gold in freestyle skiing after winning for women's moguls. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, she finished fourth and ended up a hundredth of a point off the podium.

    Dale Begg-Smith, who won gold in men's moguls for Australia, was born in Canada and holds dual citizenship. He originally started skiing in Canada but found Canada's training program too restrictive. He moved to Australia to have more time to work on his business interests. Ironically, his win bumped Marc-André Moreau down to 4th place and off of the podium.

    Men
    AthleteEventQualifyingFinal
    PointsRankPointsRank
    Jeff BeanMen's aerials198.4919Did not advance19
    Alexandre BilodeauMen's moguls23.7511 Q23.4211
    Marc-André MoreauMen's moguls24.693 Q25.624
    Kyle NissenMen's aerials231.647 Q244.915
    Steve OmischlMen's aerials198.2320Did not advance20
    Warren ShouldiceMen's aerials243.453 Q239.706
    Chris WongMen's moguls23.899 Q22.8814
    Women
    AthleteEventQualifyingFinal
    PointsRankPointsRank
    Veronika BauerWomen's aerials176.665 Q125.6512
    Deidra DionneWomen's aerials128.3022Did not advance22
    Jennifer HeilWomen's moguls26.671 Q26.50
    Amber PetersonWomen's aerials153.0715Did not advance15
    Kristi RichardsWomen's moguls23.768 Q23.307
    Audrey RobichaudWomen's moguls22.7312 Q23.108
    Stéphanie St-PierreWomen's moguls22.1517 Q22.5212

    Ice hockey

    See main article: Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    Hockey, like the previous two Olympics, attracted significant attention from Canadian fans. Many consider the Canadian men's team's performance in Turin as the most disappointing in years. In the last four games of the tournament, Canada failed to score in 11 of 12 periods, losing with the same score (2–0) against Switzerland, Finland, and in the quarterfinals against Russia. Hockey commentators, including Kelly Hrudey, commented that Canada did not play well as a team. The match against the Czech Republic was believed to be a better performance by the hockey team but the team lost to Russia two days after.

    The quarterfinal game against Russia was watched on television screens across the nation in the afternoon Canadian time. The intensity of the game increased as the scoreless tie extended into the third period.

    However, in the women's hockey discipline, Team Canada dominated the field with numerous wins leading up to their gold medal winning game.

    Men's

    See main article: Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament.

    Players

    See main article: Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Men's team rosters.

    Round-robin
    Medal round
    Quarterfinal

    Women's

    Players
    Round-robin
    Medal round
    Semifinal
  • Final
  • Luge

    See main article: Luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    AthleteEventFinal
    Run 1Run 2Run 3Run 4TotalRank
    Jeff ChristieMen's singles52.38252.02752.01351.9393:28.36114
    Ian CockerlineMen's singles52.29052.10752.255Did not finish
    Samuel EdneyMen's singles52.66352.52352.36052.3113:29.85719
    Alex GoughWomen's singles48.28649.90247.92248.0453:14.15520
    Regan LauscherWomen's singles47.58447.41847.32047.3213:09.64310
    Meaghan SimisterWomen's singles48.18548.682Did not finish
    Grant Albrecht
    Eric Pothier
    Doubles47.47848.083n/a1:35.56110
    Chris Moffat
    Mike Moffat
    Doubles47.71547.826n/a1:35.5419

    Nordic combined

    See main article: Nordic combined at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    AthleteEventSki jumpingCross-country
    PointsRankDeficitTimeRank
    Jason MyslickiSprint90.0432:2321:23.1
    +2:54.1
    41
    Individual Gundersen207.5323:4046:21.0
    +6:36.4
    41
    Max ThompsonSprint84.5452:4522:09.3
    +3:40.3
    46
    Individual Gundersen171.5466:0447:57.8
    +8:13.2
    44

    Note: 'Deficit' refers to the amount of time behind the leader a competitor began the cross-country portion of the event. Italicized numbers show the final deficit from the winner's finishing time.

    Short track speed skating

    See main article: Short track speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    Men
    AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal
    TimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRank
    Éric Bédard500 m42.4801 Q42.2671 Q41.9502 Q42.0934
    1000 m1:28.2741 Q1:27.5462 QDisqualified
    Charles Hamelin1500 m2:19.4691 Qn/a2:20.8541 Q2:26.3754
    François-Louis Tremblay500 m42.7792 Q42.1102 Q42.2611 Q42.002
    1000 m1:28.9251 QDisqualified
    Mathieu Turcotte1500 m2:23.4021 Qn/a2:18.2803Final B
    2:24.558
    6
    Éric Bédard
    Jonathan Guilmette
    Charles Hamelin
    François-Louis Tremblay
    Mathieu Turcotte
    5000 m relayn/a6:57.00416:43.707
    Women
    AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal
    TimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRank
    Alanna Kraus500 m45.6881 Q45.1723Did not advance9
    Anouk Leblanc-Boucher500 m45.9291 Q44.8212 Q45.2342 Q44.759
    1500 m2:28.0014Did not advance16
    Amanda Overland1000 m1:33.7611 Q1:33.0122 Q1:33.1023Final B
    1:34.191
    5
    1500 m2:27.6662 Qn/a2:22.9462 Q2:26.4955
    Kalyna Roberge500 m45.3961 Q45.7102 Q44.9603Final B
    46.605
    4
    Tania Vicent1000 m1:33.9041 Q1:35.5943 ADV1:32.6503Final B
    1:34.099
    4
    Alanna Kraus
    Anouk Leblanc-Boucher
    Amanda Overland
    Kalyna Roberge
    Tania Vicent
    3000 m relayn/a4:17.2312 Q4:17.336

    Key: 'ADV' indicates a skater was advanced due to being interfered with.

    Skeleton

    See main article: Skeleton at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards won a bronze medal in Skeleton, thus becoming the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in the event. A day later, Duff Gibson became the first Canadian to win a gold medal in the event after taking the men's gold. Fellow Canadian Jeff Pain won the silver medal, and there were chances of a bronze as well; however, their teammate placed fourth.

    Gibson, 39, became the oldest competitor to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympics history, surpassing Al MacInnis as the oldest Canadian to win a gold medal. MacInnis won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics on the Canadian men's hockey team.

    AthleteEventFinal
    Run 1Run 2TotalRank
    Lindsay AlcockWomen's1:01.261:01.592:02.8510
    Paul BoehmMen's58.6158.451:57.064
    Duff GibsonMen's57.8058.081:55.88
    Mellisa Hollingsworth-RichardsWomen's1:00.391:01.022:01.41
    Jeff PainMen's57.9858.161:56.14

    Ski jumping

    See main article: Ski jumping at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    AthleteEventQualifyingFirst roundFinal
    PointsRankPointsRankPointsTotalRank
    Gregory BaxterNormal hill100.041Did not advance41
    Large hill58.524Did not advance41
    Graeme GorhamNormal hill97.542Did not advance42
    Large hill69.435 Q61.150Did not advance50
    Michael NellNormal hill83.550Did not advance50
    Large hill48.049Did not advance49
    Stefan ReadNormal hill114.521 Q105.042Did not advance42
    Large hill88.519 Q98.826 Q89.4188.230
    Gregory Baxter
    Graeme Gorham
    Michael Nell
    Stefan Read
    Team276.815Did not advance15

    Note: PQ indicates a skier was pre-qualified for the final, based on entry rankings.

    Snowboarding

    See main article: Snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    Maëlle Ricker and Dominique Vallee competed in two of the Snowboarding disciplines, halfpipe and snowboard cross, while Jasey-Jay Anderson competed in snowboard cross and parallel giant slalom.

    Halfpipe
    AthleteEventQualifying run 1Qualifying run 2Final
    PointsRankPointsRankRun 1Run 2Rank
    Sarah ConradWomen's halfpipe19.42033.59Did not advance15
    Justin LamoureuxMen's halfpipe10.14131.515Did not advance21
    Crispin LipscombMen's halfpipe19.63037.96 Q(23.4)33.511
    Brad MartinMen's halfpipe27.22134.710Did not advance16
    Hugo LemayMen's halfpipe26.02434.112Did not advance18
    Mercedes NicollWomen's halfpipe33.0917.521Did not advance27
    Maëlle RickerWomen's halfpipe25.91623.223Did not advance29
    Dominique ValleeWomen's halfpipe31.51224.515Did not advance21

    Note: In the final, the single best score from two runs is used to determine the ranking. A bracketed score indicates a run that wasn't counted.

    Parallel GS
    AthleteEventQualificationRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
    TimeRankOpposition
    Time
    Opposition
    Time
    Opposition
    Time
    Opposition
    Time
    Rank
    Jasey-Jay AndersonMen's parallel giant slalom1:12.7520Did not advance20
    Philippe BerubéMen's parallel giant slalom1:30.0329Did not advance29
    Alexa LooWomen's parallel giant slalom1:23.5120Did not advance20

    Key: '+ Time' represents a deficit; the brackets indicate the results of each run.

    Snowboard cross
    AthleteEventQualifying1/8 finalsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
    TimeRankPositionPositionPositionPositionRank
    Jasey-Jay AndersonMen's snowboard cross1:22.2720 Q1 Q1 Q4Small final
    1
    5
    Francois BoivinMen's snowboard cross1:23.1730 Q2 Q3Did not advanceClassification 9–12
    2
    10
    Dominique MaltaisWomen's snowboard cross1:29.332 Qn/a1 Q2 Q3
    Drew NeilsonMen's snowboard cross1:19:931 Q3Did not advance17
    Maëlle RickerWomen's snowboard cross1:27.851 Qn/a1 Q1 Q44
    Erin SimmonsWomen's snowboard cross1:32.7417Did not advance17
    Dominique ValleeWomen's snowboard cross1:33.5719Did not advance19
    Tom VelisekMen's snowboard cross1:22.1218 Q3Did not advance23

    Speed skating

    See main article: Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

    Canada became the first country to set a new record at the 2006 Winter Olympics when both its men's and women's teams set an Olympic record in the qualifying round of the team pursuit.

    Cindy Klassen set or tied several medal records. She became the first Canadian to win five medals in one Olympics, winning a gold (1500 m), two silver medals (team pursuit, 1000 m) and two bronze medals (3000 m, 5000 m). Her bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics gives her a total of six medals and the title of the most decorated Canadian Olympian, winter or summer. Tied at five medals for Canada are short track speed skater Marc Gagnon, track athlete Dr. Phil Edwards, and speed skater Clara Hughes, who won her fourth and fifth medal at the 2006 Olympics. In addition to the Canadian medal records, Klassen also tied Eric Heiden to win the most medals by a speed skater at a single Olympics.

    Men
    AthleteEventRace 1Final
    TimeRankTimeRank
    Arne Dankers1500 mn/a1:48.4217
    5000 mn/a6:21.265
    10000 mn/a13:23.559
    Steven Elm1000 mn/a1:11.3629
    1500 mn/a1:48.0912
    5000 mn/a6:41.5322
    Michael Ireland500 m35.5935.291:10.887
    Vincent Labrie500 m36.3136.121:12.4329
    Brock Miron500 m36.4236.121:12.5430
    Denny Morrison1000 mn/a1:10.4419
    1500 mn/a1:48.0411
    François-Olivier Roberge1000 mn/a1:10.2016
    Justin Warsylewicz1500 mn/a1:49.7727
    5000 mn/a6:43.7424
    Jeremy Wotherspoon500 m35.3735.681:11.059
    1000 mn/a1:09.7611
    Women
    AthleteEventRace 1Final
    TimeRankTimeRank
    Kristina Groves1000 mn/a1:16.545
    1500 mn/a1:56.74
    3000 mn/a4:09.038
    5000 mn/a7:03.956
    Clara Hughes3000 mn/a4:09.179
    5000 mn/a6:59.07
    Cindy Klassen1000 mn/a1:16.09
    1500 mn/a1:55.27
    3000 mn/a4:04.37
    5000 mn/a7:00.57
    Krisy Myers500 m39.8339.601:19.4322
    Christine Nesbitt1000 mn/a1:17.5414
    1500 mn/a1:59.157
    Shannon Rempel500 m39.4239.431:18.8516
    1000 mn/a1:18.3524
    1500 mn/a2:02.2428
    Kerry Simpson500 m39.6939.651:19.3421
    Kim Weger500 m40.0139.981:19.9926
    Team pursuit
    AthleteEventSeedingQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal
    TimeRankOpposition
    Time
    Opposition
    Time
    Opposition
    Time
    Rank
    From:
    Arne Dankers
    Steven Elm
    Denny Morrison
    Jason Parker
    Justin Warsylewicz
    Men's team pursuit3:47.371 (8)
    W 3:52.01
    (4)
    W 3:44.91
    (2)
    L 3:47.28
    From:
    Kristina Groves
    Clara Hughes
    Cindy Klassen
    Christine Nesbitt
    Shannon Rempel
    Women's team pursuit3:06.453 (6)
    W 3:01.24
    (7)
    W 3:02.13
    (2)
    L 3:02.91

    Flag bearer

    Women's ice hockey player Danielle Goyette carried the flag for Canada in the opening ceremony. Cross-country skier Beckie Scott, bobsledder Pierre Lueders, long-track speedskaters Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes all said that they would not submit their names to carry the flag.

    Scott, Klassen and Hughes all had events within two days of the opening ceremonies and believed that not participating in the opening ceremonies would give them a better chance at a finishing well in their events. Lueders turned down the chance because at the time it appeared that his bobsleigh partner, Lascelles Brown, would not be granted Canadian citizenship. Afterwards, Lueders said he would carry the flag but said that Brown would be a much better choice.

    Some criticized these choices, including hockey analyst Don Cherry, who called the athletes unpatriotic and said that other athletes would have loved to have had the opportunity. Others, including past flag bearer Catriona Le May Doan spoke in favour of their decisions, saying that the opening ceremonies were a long process and took a lot of energy. She criticized Don Cherry, saying that many athletes in the past had turned down the flag-bearing opportunity at the opening ceremonies in order to focus on their competition, and that Don Cherry, having never participated in international athletic competition, does not have the right to be critical of Olympic athletes.

    After winning five medals (more than any other Canadian at a Winter Games), Cindy Klassen accepted the selection as the flag bearer for the closing ceremonies.

    Other participation

    As the host nation of the next Winter Games, Canada's role was to promote the 2010 Winter Olympics, its host city, its host province, and the country over the duration of these Games. Canada House was a log cabin constructed with Canadian pine wood and it was one of 12 nation's houses established in Turin. The pavilion opened its doors to the public on January 23, 2006, at piazza Valdo Fusi, in the city centre and would remain open until March 20 at the conclusion of the Paralympic Winter Games. Aside from showcasing Canadian culture, the building would host meetings for companies from British Columbia and Italy who would be interested to develop business partnerships. The building would be donated to the city of Turin and would be transferred to a new city park after the Games.

    During the closing ceremonies of these Games, there was a brief segment in which Canada delivered a preview of the 2010 Games. This included a choreographed program featuring Avril Lavigne, raising of the Canadian flag, and singing of O Canada by opera star Ben Heppner, himself a B.C. native. The handover of the Games was highlighted by Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan, a quadriplegic, accepting and waving the Olympic flag. Aside from the flag handed from the mayor of Turin Sergio Chiamparino, the City of Vancouver is now the custodian of the actual Olympic flag lowered at Stadio Olimpico during the closing ceremonies.

    British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, himself a Vancouver native, and Governor General Michaëlle Jean attended the Games' competitions and closing ceremonies. They also availed themselves to the news media, sharing their thoughts about British Columbia and Canada welcoming the world in 2010. The federal government was represented by the attendance of Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay at the closing ceremonies.

    A number of Canadian citizens with dual citizenship have competed for other countries and served as their respective flag bearers:

    In Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement that the Olympic flame had begun the journey to Vancouver.[7]

    Notes

    Official outfitter

    HBC became the official outfitter of clothing for members of the Canadian Olympic team and replacing Roots Canada. The same clothing was also sold at HBC stores in Canada. HBC had been the official outfitters for Canada's Winter teams in 1936, 1960, 1964 and 1968.

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Flagbearers for the Opening Ceremony . February 22, 2009 . https://archive.today/20240525172933/https://www.webcitation.org/65JtNzGDH?url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/media_centre/press_release_uk.asp%3Fid=1664 . 2024-05-25 . live .
    2. Web site: Flagbearers for the Closing Ceremony . February 22, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120115165300/http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/media_centre/press_release_uk.asp?id=1726 . 2012-01-15 . live .
    3. News: COC aims high at 2010 Vancouver Games . CBC News . January 21, 2005 . August 7, 2010 . November 7, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107210630/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2005/01/21/coc_funding050121.html . live .
    4. https://web.archive.org/web/20050119042929/http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/freestyle/cupstandings.html FIS-Ski
    5. Web site: Canadian curling teams differ on ice conditions. CTV.ca. February 22, 2009.
    6. Web site: The Rock is Rockin'. The Sports Network. February 22, 2009.
    7. Web site: The Prime Minister congratulates our athletes and coaches on their performance in Turin . Prime Minister of Canada . 2006-02-26 . 2014-02-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060709144859/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1034 . 2006-07-09 .