And this weekend Sidney Crosby will be taking his second Stanley Cup home to his Nova Scotia hometown. She was educated by the Ursulines a religious order devoted to educating girls and caring for the sick and needy. He is the first Jamaican-born athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. When it comes to sports in which Canadians are underrepresented, being the first goes a long way. Jessica Biel (born 1982), American actress with distant French roots. Make a donation to Canadas History Society. Drouin is the reigning Olympic and World Champion in Mens High Jump, as he won gold at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Olympics. While there are 15 deserving athletes on this list, there are a number of incredible Canadian athletes that didnt make the cut, which wasnt an easy decision. He was the first Canadian, and first Cubs pitcher, to win a Cy Young Award as the leagues best pitcher and accumulated over 3,000 strikeouts in his long career. Top 10 Canadian Athletes in The World Right Now - Wonderslist Her ski schools were everywhere. French is also the first official language spoken by 22 per cent of the Canadian population. Historic Irish neighbourhood is enjoying a renaissance. His career in athletics started during World War I, winning the national cross-country championships of the French military. They made little Inuvik a hotbed of ski talent. She'll look to win her first LPGA major since 2016 in April. She retired in January of this year with 168 goals and 211 assists to her name in just 276 career games. Nash retired with the highest free throw percentage in NBA history at 90.42%. Three-time Olympian Canadian track and field athlete and bobsledder Phylicia George is also an Olympic bronze medalist in the two-woman bobsleigh category. When you have those kinds of stats, you can find yourself on a Google Doodle or in a Heritage Minute. Canada is a nation that has an incredibly diverse interest in sports. In the unpredictable world of bobsleigh, Humphries - the top driver in the world - was looking for every little edge to be the best. Canadas national womens soccer team is currently ranked in the top ten, thanks in part to the skills of captain Christine Sinclair. Ethel May Smith (July 5, 1907 - December 31, 1979) was a sprinter from Canada who won two medals at the Amsterdam 1928 Summer Olympics: a bronze medal in the 100 m, and a gold team medal in the 4 100 m relay. Legendary Canadian female athletes you should know - CBC Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a former football star who played as an attacking midfielder. In this category, we zone in on individual sports. The Haitian-born athlete had moved to Canada as a child. Only 22 years old, it looks like De Grasse will be a major player in international sprinting in the future. Mike Weir was one of the first Canadians to achieve success at the highest level in golf. After being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, Papineau became the leader of the Parti Canadien, which later became the Patriote party. 2 Association football. Scarborough, Ontarios Andre De Grasse was a relatively late bloomer in the sport of track and field, as he didnt seriously begin racing until he was partway through high school. In the early 2000s, Mike Weir was the guy from Canada and he was one of the best players on tour. In total, Canada's women's track and field team won two gold, two silver and a bronze and earned the nickname: The Matchless Six. 6 6. He transformed from a moderate politician to a radical, openly attacking institutions such as the Legislative Council, whose non-elected members controlled the country. Samir Hussein 23/35 Michael Bubl Born in Burnaby, British Columbia, the crooner is one of Canada's most. While he has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament, he did reach his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2016, and reached the semi-finals at both the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2014. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. Weve made a list of some of the most influential, and while its impossible to rank the best of the best, were sure youll agree that each of the athletes on this list has had a big impact on sports in Canada. Sinclair has shown unbelievable skill on the field as well as proven to be a true leader of her team again and again. In 1640, Mance learned that religious women the Ursulines and Augustinians had established themselves in Qubec and she was inspired to go to New France. Whether it was donating to Right to Play or breaking down the stigma around mental illness in Bell's "Let's Talk" campaign, she's a champion through and through. We recognize the resilience of Indigenous storytellers and Knowledge Keepers who have kept their stories alive despite attempts to silence them. Or, in the case of the Canadian women's hockey team, back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Now such a list will undoubtedly bring about some strong opinions (rightfully so) so lets just get a few things out of the way first. He competed in before making his NHL debut at 18 in 2005. When they were six, their whole community was up and moved to Inuvik. Given the popularity of hockey in Canada, its only fitting a hockey player tops this list of the Top 10 Canadian Athletes. At 26 years old, Raonic is in the prime of his career, so look for him to be a major player on the ATP tour in the future. Mark McKoy is a three-time Commonwealth champion, having won gold medals at the 1982 and 1986 Commonwealth Games. Playing in other North American professional leagues, Former NCAA Division I players awaiting professional play. With millions of followers, he is definitely one of France most famous athletes on social media. Andrew Stawicki/Toronto Star via Getty Images. Birthplace: Bruges, Belgium; raised in France. Christine Sinclair is a Canadian soccer player who plays for the Canadian national team as a forward. Percy Williams was a Canadian athlete best remembered for winning two gold medals at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Cindy Klassen Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. If you don't already know these athletes, you should. He followed that up with a pair of gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games in the 100m and 200m, and bronze medals at the 2015 World Championships in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay. To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists. 27 Jul 1996: Donovan Bailey of Canada #1197 defeats Frankie Fredericks of Namibia #1962 and Dennis Mitchell of the USA for the gold medal in th 100m final at the Olympic Stadium at the 1996. While growing up in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, she was quite the fastball player, representing Canada at the world junior championships at one point. Named the Female Athlete of the First Half-Century by Canada, she also excelled in hockey, apart from track and field. Ethel Smith (1907 - 1979). Vote for Your Favourite Canadian Athletes, (Actor and Athlete Known for His Role as Tonto in the TV Series The Lone Ranger), (Canadian Sprinter Who was the World's Fastest Man During the 1987-88 Season), (Canadian Soccer Player Who Plays as a Forward), (Onondaga Athlete Who Specialized in Distance Running), (Canadian Track and Field Athlete (Paralympic Games)), (Canadian Former Race Horse Jockey Who won the 'US Triple Crown' in 1973), (Former Canadian Figure Skater and 2-Time National Champion), (Canadian Long-Distance Runner and Olympic Silver Medalist), (Canadian Sprinter, Former World Champion, and 2-Time Olympic Medalist), (Canadian Athlete and Winner of the 100 and 200 Metres Races at the 1928 Summer Olympics), (Canadian Athlete and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist), (Former Canadian Track and Field Athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist), (Canadian Athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist, and a Pioneer in Women's Sports), (Canadian Track and Field Athlete, Bobsledder, and Olympic Medalist), (Jamaican-Born Canadian Bobsledder and Olympic Silver Medalist), (Track and Field Athlete Who Specialized in Middle Distance Events), (Canadian Athlete Who Was the First Non-US Olympic Gold Medalist in 100m Hurdles). Nicknamed The Big Train, Lionel Conacher might be the least known athlete on this list, despite having a national award named after him. His amazing career is one of the longest in NHL history, and though we sadly lost him earlier this year, hell always remain a huge part of Canadian history. In the early 2000s, he spent the majority of his time in the top ten rankings and brought a major golf title to Canada for the first time ever when he won the Masters in 2003. The 20 year old McDavid is currently in his 2nd season with the NHLs Edmonton Oilers, and is the teams captain. While he started his training in ice hockey at age 5, he later switched to figure skating. He has also had a very successful international career, winning 2 Olympic gold medals, a World Junior Championship, a World Championship, and a World Cup title with Team Canada. The Greatest Canadian Athletes The moment she won Canada's first-ever cross-country medal at an Olympic Games, Beckie Scott made history, but she could not have known how that achievement would forge the next part of her life. In 1996, Tom Longboat was honored posthumously with an induction into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Lemieuxs career was ultimately shortened by injury, a mid-career retirement and even cancer, but number 66 is still considered one of the most talented and influential players to ever play the game. Hometown: Manchester, Jamaica (immigrated to Oakville, Ontario), Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa (immigrated to Regina, Saskatchewan then Victoria, B.C. An MFC middleweight champion, he has also won 3 UFC titles. Get exclusive content you wont find in our magazines. Alwyn Morris (1957-) Canoe-Kayak Sprint Jenkins wasnt just a talented baseball player either, as he spent a few off-seasons playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. Ron Turcotte is a Canadian former race horse jockey. Athletes Who've Spoken About Mental Health Struggles - Insider Oleksiak is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer who won 4 medals (a record for a Canadian athlete at a single Summer Olympics) at the Rio Olympics: gold in the 100m freestyle, silver in the 100m butterfly, and bronze in both the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m freestyle relays. In 1910 he founded the newspaper Le Devoir to share his perspective. List of fencers - Wikipedia For the Firths, it was beyond personal, they were acutely aware of representing their culture, too. There are a number of Canadians doing good things on the PGA Tour, but that wasnt always the case. Raonic has 8 ATP titles to his name, and has earned over $14 million (USD) in career winnings. Despite a short career, Owen Hart is one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers of all time. An artists essay became a call-to-arms for social change. Percy Williams is widely regarded as the greatest Canadian Olympic athlete of all time. He became famous for his endurance and the way he finished a race with a spectacular burst of speed. Harold Ballard was a Canadian sportsman and businessman. Starting off our list we have Andrew Wiggins, the professional basketball player from the NBAs Minnesota Timberwolves. He retired in 2019, ending his basketball career as the ninth leading post-season scorer in NBA history. Famous French Americans or Celebrities of French Descent! Without a doubt, Canadas greatest basketball player. He won gold twice at the 1996 games and was the record-holder for the 100m sprint. Born in a poor neighboorhood in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille, Zidane started playing football at age 5. They were born 15 minutes apart to a traditional hunting and trapping family on the Mackenzie Delta, north of the Arctic Circle. updated December 20, 2017, 7:59 pm, by The gifted playmaker returned to Phoenix in 2004 where he won back to back NBA MVP Awards. But she got her first Olympic start in Vancouver 2010 in alpine skiing. Donnie Wahlberg. Same result champions. He was later dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World.. Nicknamed the Man of Bronze, Phil Edwards won five bronze medals for Canada at the Olympic Games between 1928 and 1936. Georges St Pierre may not be as well known as some of the other athletes on this list, but among combat sports fans, hes a legend. Canada's athletes of the 20th century - Wikipedia Our focus was to represent aboriginal people on the world stage in sport and I think that's what we did.". 47in world ranking. Andr the Giant also became a Hollywood actor, debuting as Sasquatch (Bigfoot) in 1976 in a two-part episode aired on the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man. Army Howard Army Howard competes in the 4th round of the 100m at the Inter-Allied Games at the Pershing Stadium in Paris in July 1919. He is the eighth of nine children of Alma Elaine Conroy (ne Donnelly), a . Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe are two among the most famous ice hockey players the country has seen. He is regarded as one of the worlds finest brakesmen. She'll forever be known as the "fastest woman on ice.". Mance, Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, and the rest of the contingent left La Rochelle, France, on two vessels in May 1641. In 1942, she ran for federal election as a Liberal and lost. Mario Lemieux -- When looking at the top-five French speaking players of all time, No . Sinclair has won the Canada Soccer Player of the Year award an outstanding 12 times in her career and is a 6 time nominee of FIFAs World Player of the Year award. Whether it was her dominant gold medal victory in the giant slalom at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics (she won by a whopping 2.68 seconds!) Lets dive into the list of some of the most famous French athletes of all time. Later, she likely worked as a nurse at a hospital in her hometown. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Raonic is undoubtedly the best Canadian mens tennis player today, evidenced by the fact he has been named Tennis Canadas male player of the year every year since 2011. Ballard also owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. Sidney Crosby no doubt deserves this ranking, given he has been at the top of his sport for the last decade, achieving great success both professionally with the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins, and internationally as a member of Team Canada.