2010 Hall of Fame Inductee: Caroline Brunet
Caroline Brunet, a five-time Olympian, is one of Canada’s most successful kayakers. She was particularly dominant in the K-1 500 metres, a sprint event in which she won three Olympic medals. It could be said that she single-handedly elevated Canada’s canoe-kayak program, and raised its expectations forever after.
The native of Lac-Beauport, Quebec first stepped to the podium at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, where she won a silver medal. Four years later in Sydney, Brunet was the Canadian Olympic Team’s flag bearer and went on to repeat as a silver medallist. And at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, the double medallist turned into a triple medallist by capturing bronze.
Brunet was 19 years old at her first Olympic Games, Seoul 1988, and finished 13th in the 500-metre event. From then on, she would place in the top seven. In Barcelona in 1992, she was 6th in K-4 500 metres and 7th in K-1 500 metres. In 2000, she was 5th in the K-2 500 metres and in 2004 was 7th in that same event.
From 1993 to 2003, Brunet was world champion 10 separate times while adding seven silver and four bronze medals for an amazing 21 World Championship podium appearances. Her dominance in major international races rivals any Canadian athlete in any sport.
In 1999, Brunet won the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s top athlete. She is a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame.
