Sep 23, 2019
Canadian Olympic HOF names 2019 class
The COC revealed the 2019 inductees of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame on Monday, a class that includes diver Alexandre Despatie, weightlifter Christine Girard, diver Émilie Heymans; triathlete Simon Whitfield, judo coach Hiroshi Nakamura, the women’s Vancouver 2010 hockey team, the women's London 2012 soccer team, builder Jack Poole and journalist Randy Starkman.
TSN.ca Staff
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) revealed the 2019 inductees of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame on Monday, a class that includes diver Alexandre Despatie, weightlifter Christine Girard, diver Émilie Heymans; triathlete Simon Whitfield, judo coach Hiroshi Nakamura, the women’s Vancouver 2010 hockey team, the women's London 2012 soccer team, builder Jack Poole and journalist Randy Starkman.
Since 1949, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame has inducted 429 athletes, teams, coaches, and builders in recognition "of their outstanding Olympic achievements and their embodiment of the Olympic values."
The induction ceremony will take place on October 23 in Toronto.
Despatie is the first Canadian man ever to win an Olympic medal in diving. Girard is Canada’s first Olympic champion in the sport and the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting. Her bronze medal (Beijing 2008) and gold medal (London 2012) were awarded several years after the Games when athletes who had initially placed ahead of her were disqualified for doping.
Heymans is the first Canadian summer Olympian to win medals at four consecutive Games.
Whitfield made history in his Olympic debut at Sydney 2000 where he became the first ever Olympic champion in men’s triathlon. He was named both Team Canada’s Closing Ceremony Flag Bearer at Sydney 2000 and Team Canada’s Opening Ceremony Flag Bearer at London 2012.
Nakamura was Team Canada’s Judo Head Coach at five Olympic Games (1976, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004) and is responsible for the establishment of Judo as a competitive sport in Canada.
The women’s Vancouver 2010 hockey team won gold on home ice in at Vancouver 2010 to earn Canada its third consecutive hockey gold medal, conceding only two goals over the duration of the five game tournament. The team’s gold medal game victory (2-0) is the only time in women’s Olympic hockey history Team Canada has shut out Team USA.
The women’s London 2012 soccer team overcame a disappointing result at the 2011 World Cup to qualify for the Olympics through regional competition to win a bronze, Canada’s first Summer Olympic Team sport medal since 1936.
Poole (posthumously) led the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation as volunteer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and was responsible for bringing the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games to Canada.
Starkman (posthumously) was a highly-respected journalist with a 24-year career covering Canadian Olympians and amateur athletes.