Canada’s varying climate and weather have enabled the country to produce a wealth of exceptional athletes to succeed in a number of vastly different sports, from ice hockey to golf. We’re going to take a look at some of the most decorated Canadian athletes throughout history. With so many to choose from, there’s no doubt we’ve left some super talented Canadians off of our list. Please forgive us!
In no specific order…
1: Clara Hughes
Clara Hughes is one of the most decorated Canadian Olympians ever. But it’s not just her medals that make her impressive. She is one of just a few athletes that have managed to win Winter and Summer Olympic medals since WW2, and as you might expect, this means she is an Olympic champion in totally different sports.
She initially won two bronze medals in cycling at the Summer Games of 1996. But since followed these up with a total of four medals over three Winter Games in speedskating.
2: Wayne Gretzky
Even if you know nothing about ice hockey, you’re likely to have still heard the name, Wayne Gretzky. Also known as “The Great One”, he assisted Edmonton to lots of success in the 80s. The most impressive statistic you’ll ever hear about Wayne Gretzky is that he held a whopping 61 NHL records when he retired, including 1,963 assists.
It used to be easy money to bet on Gretzky making an assist, but now you have to search for the best NHL odds available at bwin to try and make the most of your bets.
3: Ferguson Jenkins
Canada has created some exceptional baseball players over the years, despite only having one MLB team. Yet, none of these talents come close to Ferguson “Fergie” Jenkins. Over a long career, he accumulated an impressive 3,000 strike-outs. What makes Ferguson Jenkins an even more impressive athlete is that he spent some of the off-season playing professional basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters.
4: Georges St. Pierre
Georges St Pierre, better known as GSP, was a Canadian UFC fighter that is said to have helped turn take the sport out of the margins. Between 2006 and 2008, Georges St Pierre won three Welterweight Championships. He was considered the best Welterweight UFC fighter in the world for many years, which also helped him become the Canadian athlete of the year for three consecutive years (2008, 2009 and 2010).
5: Donovan Bailey
Donovan Bailey is one of the greatest sprinters to ever live. Although he originally hails from Manchester, Jamaica, it is Canada that became home from early on. It was the 1996 Atlanta Games where the athlete won the hearts of the Canadian public. He set a new world record – at the time – to win gold in the 100-metre sprint, crossing the line in just 9.84 seconds. In the same Olympics, he was part of a relay team that also took home the gold medal.
6: Steve Nash
There is little debate about who the most outstanding Canadian to ever step foot on a basketball court is – Steve Nash. He established himself as one of the best passers in the game, becoming known as the playmaker or the court’s puppet master. When he retired from NBA, he retired with the highest free throw stats in history, coming in at 90.42%.
7: Mike Weir
Canada has produced a number of exceptional golfers that have made a name for themselves on the PGA Tour. But it might just be Mike Weir who is the best of them all. He was consistently one of the best players on the tour. He held a top 10 place in the Golf World Rankings for five consecutive years. He won seven times on the PGA Tour, but his biggest accomplishment of all was winning The Masters in 2003.
8: Christine Sinclair
Canada’s women’s national soccer team is one of the best in the world. The team’s success is largely down to Christine Sinclair, who is also one of the best female soccer players to ever play the game. She might *only* have two Olympic medals to her name, but she is the most capped Canadian and has the second most international goals in the women’s international game.
Christine Sinclair’s title as the most successful Canadian soccer player might be about to come under threat. Jonathon David is fast becoming one of the best strikers in Europe and is generating a lot of attention from Premier League clubs in the UK. However, Sinclair is unlikely to lose her crown as the greatest female Canadian player any time soon.