Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century
Encyclopedia
Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century as voted on in a 1999 survey of newspaper editors and broadcasters conducted by the Canadian Press
and Broadcast News:
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Top 10 Female Athletes
- Nancy GreeneNancy GreeneNancy Catherine Greene, OC, OBC, OD is a Canadian Senator for British Columbia and a champion alpine skier voted as Canada's Female Athlete of the 20th Century...
(born 1943), skier - Silken LaumannSilken LaumannSilken Suzette Laumann, MSC is a Canadian champion rower.Starting in 1976, Laumann won a number of awards, including a gold medal in quadruple sculls at the U.S. Championships, two gold medals in single sculls at the Pan American Games, a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics in the double sculls with...
(born 1964), rower - Barbara Ann Scott (born 1928), figure skater
- Myriam BédardMyriam BédardMyriam Bédard, MSC is a Canadian biathlete , winner of two Olympic gold medals.-Olympic career:Born in Neufchâtel, Quebec, Bédard learned marksmanship as a member of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets' 2772 cadet corps, which she joined at the age of 15, and participated in her first biathlon event at...
(born 1969), biathlon - Marnie McBeanMarnie McBeanMarnie Elizabeth McBean is a Canadian rower.McBean competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the coxless pairs and eights events, winning gold medals in both. At the 1996 Summer Olympics she competed in the double and quadruple sculls, winning gold in the double and bronze in the quadruple...
(born 1968), rower - Fanny "Bobbie" RosenfeldBobbie RosenfeldFanny Rosenfeld was a Canadian athlete, who earned a gold medal for the 400 metre relay and a silver medal for the 100 metre at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. She was called the "best Canadian female athlete of the half-century" and a star at basketball, hockey, softball, and tennis...
(1904–1969), track-and-field (voted female athlete of the first half of the century) - Catriona Le May Doan (born 1970), speed skater
- Sandra PostSandra PostSandra Post, CM is a Canadian professional golfer. She was the first Canadian to play on the LPGA Tour.-Early years, junior and amateur golf:...
(born 1948), golfer - Marilyn BellMarilyn BellMarilyn Bell Di Lascio is a retired long distance swimmer, born October 19, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario. She was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario and later swam the English Channel and Strait of Juan de Fuca.-Swimming career:...
(born 1937), long distance swimmer - Elaine TannerElaine TannerElaine Tanner-Watt, OC is a retired Canadian swimmer.-Career:Nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" partly because of her small stature and partly due to her competitive drive, Tanner had a large impact on Canadian swimming and is considered one of the top performers in the sport.During the 1966 Commonwealth...
(born 1951), swimmer
Top 10 Male Athletes
- Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
(born 1961), ice hockey player - Gordie HoweGordie HoweGordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
(born 1928), ice hockey player - Bobby OrrBobby OrrRobert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
(born 1948), ice hockey player - Lionel ConacherLionel ConacherLionel Pretoria Conacher, MP , nicknamed "The Big Train", was a Canadian athlete and politician. Voted the country's top athlete of the first half of the 20th century, he won championships in numerous sports. His first passion was football; he was a member of the 1921 Grey Cup champion Toronto...
(1901–-1954), multi-sport athlete (voted male athlete of the first half of the century) - Maurice RichardMaurice RichardJoseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
(1921–-2000), ice hockey player - Donovan BaileyDonovan BaileyDonovan Bailey is a retired Canadian sprinter, who once held the world record for the 100 metres race following his gold medal performance in the 1996 Olympic Games. He was the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m...
(born 1967), track-and-field - Ferguson JenkinsFerguson JenkinsFerguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
(born 1943), baseball player - Mario LemieuxMario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
(born 1965), ice hockey player - Larry WalkerLarry WalkerLarry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
(born 1966), baseball player - Gaétan BoucherGaétan BoucherGaétan Boucher, OC, CQ is a former Speed skating Olympic champion from Canada.A four-time Olympic medalist, Boucher was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's outstanding male athlete of 1984. He was named number 10 on the list of Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century...
(born 1958), speed skater
Team of the Century
- 1972 Team CanadaCanadian national men's hockey teamThe Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
in ice hockey — defeated the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the first ever seriesSummit SeriesThe Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
involving NHL players
See also
- Members of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
- Members of Canada's Olympic Hall of Fame
- Recipients of the Lou Marsh TrophyLou Marsh TrophyThe Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
- Bobbie Rosenfeld AwardBobbie Rosenfeld AwardThe Bobbie Rosenfeld Award is an annual award given to Canada's female athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top female in 1933, naming golfer Ada Mackenzie the winner. The CP formalized the poll into an award in 1978,...
(female) - Velma Springstead TrophyVelma Springstead TrophyThe Velma Springstead Trophy is an award presented annually to Canada's outstanding female athlete. It is named in honour of track athlete Velma Springstead whose career ended prematurely when she died from pneumonia in 1927 when only 20 years old. The Women's Amateur Athletic Federation of Canada...
(female) - Lionel Conacher AwardLionel Conacher AwardThe Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning...
(male)