A Breakdown of the Performance of Canadian Athletes at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games
The 2022 Beijing Winter Games was nothing short of thrilling, and Team Canada emerged with great success. The Canadian Olympic team was 215 strong, the third-largest Canadian Winter Olympic team in history. Short-track speed skater Charles Hamelin and hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin proudly carried the Canadian flag at the opening ceremony, with triple medallist speed skater Isabelle Weidemann taking the role as the closing ceremony flag bearer. Canada finished 11th on the medal count with 26 total medals: 4 gold, 8 silver, and 14 bronze. This was the second-highest total in Canadian history. Canada also broke the record for most bronze medals won at a single Winter Games.
Of course, all the glory didn’t come without the grit and determination of the athletes. Countless hours were spent training at their respective disciplines, with some athletes powering through injuries, resulting in some incredible performances. Here are the highlights of Canadian triumphs at the Beijing games.
On the slopes
Snowboarder Max Parrot was among the list of Canada’s many two-time Olympians, as he claimed silver in slopestyle at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, shortly after his Olympic triumph, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December 2018 and underwent extensive chemotherapy. Nevertheless, Max emerged a champion, beating cancer in June 2019 and going on to win a slopestyle gold medal in Beijing. Fellow snowboarder Mark McMorris joined Parrot on the podium with a bronze medal finish, making it his third Olympic medal.
Team Canada’s mixed team ski jumping consisting of Abigail Strate, Matthew Soukup, Alexandria Loutitt, and four-time Olympian Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes received a historic bronze. They became the first North American ski jumpers to ever stand on an Olympic podium since the sport’s inauguration in 1924.
The mixed team aerials were one of seven events that were introduced to the Olympics for the very first time during the Beijing Games, and Canada won bronze in the inaugural event. Marion Thenault, Miha Fontaine, and Lewis Irving took home Canada’s first Olympic medal in an aerials event in two decades. Amazingly, this was Irving’s first jump of the season as he tore his MCL at the start of the season.
Biathlon athlete Scott Gow may not have received a medal, but he was successful in presenting Canada’s first-ever top 10 finish in the 20km individual event, with a fifth place finish. He also delivered a record 19 for 20 performance in the shooting section.
Parrot and McMorris stand on the podium together, courtesy of Olympic.ca
On the ice
Speed skater and five-time Olympian Charles Hamelin announced the 2022 games would be his last one, and he delivered an excellent final Olympic performance. He claimed the gold medal alongside Steven Dubois, Pascal Dion, and Jordan Pierre-Gilles in the 5000m short-track relay. A six-time medalist, Hamelin ties the record for being Canada’s most decorated winter Olympian!
Team Canada’s women’s ice hockey team met defending champions and close rivals Team USA in the finals, making for an exhilarating gold medal game. Marie-Philip Poulin captained the team to victory, defeating USA 3-2. Poulin also became the first player to score in four Olympic gold medal games. In addition, Sarah Nurse set the record for most points scored in the women’s tournament, with 18 goals, and goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens set a new record for most saves by a Canadian goalie in an Olympic game, saving 51 shots in a round-robin game against Team USA.
Speed skater Isabelle Weidemann became the first athlete of the games to win three medals. She won bronze on Day 1 of the games in the 3000m event, followed by a silver medal finish in 5000m, and claimed gold as her third medal alongside Ivanie Blondin and Valerie Maltais in the team pursuit event. Her successes led to her being selected as Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearer.
The Monobob event made its Olympic debut, and Canada was yet again successful in receiving an inaugural event’s first medals. Christine de Bruin received Bronze, becoming one of the three women to ever make it on an Olympic podium in the event.
Team Canada’s women’s ice hockey team celebrate their gold medal finish, courtesy of The Guardian
The athletes’ achievements are remarkable, especially when considering the challenges that the pandemic presented for them. Lockdown restrictions made it difficult for athletes to train, and the many COVID-19 variants created further complications. The circumstances were unlike any we’ve encountered in recent years, and athletes still persevered through it all.
With multiple medals and record performances, Team Canada made the nation proud with their success at the Beijing Games. We look forward to cheering on the Canadians participating in the Beijing Winter Paralympics, which begins on March 4.
Speed skater Isabelle Weidemann carries the Canadian flag at the Closing Ceremony, courtesy of The Globe and Mail
Recap of the Canadian Medallists at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, courtesy of Olympic.com
Gold medallists:
- Max Parrot, men’s snowboard slopestyle
- Canada, women’s speed skating team pursuit
- Canada, men’s short track speed skating 5000m relay
- Canada, women’s ice hockey
Silver medallists:
- Steven Dubois, short track men’s 1500m
- Mikael Kingsbury, men’s freestyle skiing – moguls
- Eliot Grondin, men’s snowboard cross
- Isabelle Weidemann, women’s speed skating 5000m
- Laurent Dubreuil, men’s speed skating 1000m
- Cassie Sharpe, women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe
- Marielle Thompson, women’s freestyle skiing – ski cross
- Ivanie Blondin, speed skating women’s mass start
Bronze medallists:
- Max Parrot, men’s snowboard big air
- Isabelle Weidemann, women’s speed skating 3000m
- Mark McMorris, men’s snowboard slopestyle
- Canada, ski jumping mixed team
- Kim Boutin, women’s short track 500m
- Meryeta Odine, women’s snowboard cross
- James Crawford, men’s Alpine combined
- Canada, mixed team aerials
- Canada, mixed team snowboard cross
- Christine de Bruin, bobsleigh, women’s monobob
- Steven Dubois, short track men’s 500m
- Rachael Karker, women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe
- Canada, men’s team curling
- Justin Kripps, men’s four-man bobsleigh
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