THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

18 (and then some) great Team Canada stories of 2018

There was so much for Team Canada to celebrate in 2018.

From the country’s most successful Olympic Winter Games ever to big breakthroughs on the summer sports stage to some incredible individual performances, it seemed there was always something noteworthy happening.

If you can’t quite remember everything (because it was a really long year), we’re here to help with this refresher, revealing a few new stories each day until the calendar turns to 2019.

Figure skaters shine on Olympic ice and beyond

READ: Figure skaters win Team Canada’s first gold of PyeongChang 2018

Team Canada Figure Skating PyeongChang 2018 team medal ceremony

Team Canada figure skaters Patrick Chan, Gabrielle Daleman, Kaetlyn Osmond, Meagan Duhamel, Eric Radford, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir with their gold medals from the team event Photo: COC/Jason Ransom

A team of seven world championship medallists set a goal for themselves of standing atop the Olympic podium and succeeded in their mission, winning Canada’s first gold medal of PyeongChang 2018.

READ: Chan savours Olympic gold won with lifelong teammates
READ: Duhamel and Radford cap career with their Olympic moment

Team Canada Duhamel Radford PyeongChang 2018 pairs free

Eric Radford and Meagan Duhamel skate to a bronze medal in the pairs free skate program at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Korea, Thursday, February 15, 2018.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO – COC – Jason Ransom

Patrick Chan, the three-time world champion who only a month earlier had won his record 10th national title, finally had Olympic gold around his neck before calling an end to his career. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford rode the high to a bronze medal in the pairs event, putting together one of their finest performances for their final competitive skate.

READ: Osmond performs on the biggest stage to claim Olympic bronze
READ: Osmond wins Canada’s first women’s world figure skating title in 45 years

Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada celebrates after winning the women’s free skating program, at the Figure Skating World Championships in Assago, near Milan, Italy, Friday, March 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Kaetlyn Osmond brought pride to the entire province of Newfoundland when she also won a bronze medal in the women’s event and then a month later became the first Canadian woman in 45 years to be crowned world champion. Not to be forgotten is Gabrielle Daleman’s great skate that clinched the team gold medal and Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje stepping into the ice dance spotlight to win their third world championship medal.

Tessa and Scott take over the world

READ: All the emotion at the right time for golden Virtue and Moir

Team Canada Virtue Moir PyeongChang 2018

Canada’s Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue skate their way to gold in the ice dance free dance program at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Korea, Tuesday, February 20, 2018.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO – COC – Jason Ransom

No Canadian athletes captured the country’s – and the world’s – attention more than Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Together they carried the maple leaf into the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Their Moulin Rouge free dance had everyone buzzing twice during the Games, first when they were the last skaters on the ice in the team event, and then again when they skated their absolute best to win ice dance gold. That was their fifth career Olympic medal, making them the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history.

READ: What are Virtue and Moir up to post-PyeongChang?
READ: Travels, tours and more of Virtue and Moir’s post-Olympic world 
READ: Virtue and Moir receive a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame

Figure skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir sign their star as they are inducted into the 2018 Canada Walk of Fame during a press red carpet event in Toronto on Saturday December 1, 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

What followed was a whirlwind, including an appearance on Ellen, induction to Canada’s Walk of Fame, and the decision to spearhead a cross-country tour to thank their loyal Canadian fans. They ended up 1-2 in Twitter’s list of the most talked about Canadian athletes during PyeongChang 2018 while Tessa topped the list of the most Googled Canadians in 2018.

Bloemen blows away eight-decade drought

READ: Bloemen’s move to Canada leads to Olympic long track silver medal 
READ: Bloemen brings joy to his adopted nation with golden performance

Ted-Jan Bloeman of Canada wins the Gold medal in the Men’s 10000m Final at the Gangneung Oval during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Gangneung, South Korea on February 15, 2018. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/COC)

Born in the Netherlands, Ted-Jan Bloemen had a tough time breaking out of the highly competitive Dutch speed skating system. But moving to Calgary and competing for Canada changed everything. At PyeongChang 2018 he won 5000m silver in a photo finish before claiming 10,000m gold in Olympic record time. It was the first time a Canadian had won an Olympic medal in either of those events since Lake Placid 1932.

Mikaël Kingsbury: king of the moguls hill

READ: Childhood dream finally comes true for moguls champion Kingsbury
READ: Kingsbury wins Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s Athlete of the Year

You only really need four letters to describe Mikaël Kingsbury: G.O.A.T. Amid all the pressure, he fulfilled his childhood dream and won Olympic gold at PyeongChang 2018. That came just a few weeks after he’d become the winningest moguls skier in World Cup history, male or female.

Mikael Kingsbury shares the podium with the medalists at the inaugural Men’s Moguls World Cup in Ruka, Finland on Friday, December 7, 2018. (Photo: FIS)

He went on to win his seventh straight Crystal Globe as the overall World Cup champion, not just in moguls, but all of freestyle skiing. He opened the 2018-19 season with his 50th career victory. It all led to him being voted the Lou Marsh Trophy winner as Canada’s Athlete of the Year.

Canada reigns in freestyle skiing

READ: Justine Dufour-Lapointe claims moguls silver at PyeongChang 2018
READ: Cassie Sharpe wins women’s ski halfpipe at PyeongChang 2018

PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 20: Cassie Sharpe wins the gold medal during the Freestyle Skiing – Ladies’ Ski Halfpipe final at the Phoenix Snow Park on February 20, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.(Photo by Vincent Ethier/COC)

Kingsbury isn’t alone in starring on snow, with his gold one of seven freestyle skiing medals Canada won in PyeongChang. Cassie Sharpe dominated the women’s halfpipe so much that her final turn down the course was purely a victory lap. Justine Dufour-Lapointe came close to repeating as Olympic champion but settled for silver in women’s moguls. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand became Canada’s first Olympic medallist in men’s ski slopestyle.

Team Canada Alex Beaulieu-Marchand Slopestyle Ski

Team Canada’s Men’s Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle athlete Alex Beaulieu-Marchand qualify in the first qualifying at Phoenix Snow Park during the Winter Olympic Games, in Bokwang, South Korea, Sunday, February 18, 2018. Photo/David Jackson

But it was the ski cross team that really shone. For the second straight Games, Canada went 1-2 in the women’s race, with Kelsey Serwa and best friend Brittany Phelan claiming gold and silver. Brady Leman erased the disappointment of his fourth-place finish at Sochi 2014 with a gold medal of his own. The Canadian ski cross team as a whole ended the season by capturing the FIS Nations Cup.

All sorts of success for short track newbies and veterans

READ: Closing Ceremony flag bearer honours bestowed on Boutin

Team Canada Kim Boutin PyeongChang 2018

PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 18: Kim Boutin of Canada receives the bronze medal for finishing in 3rd position in the Short Track Speed Skating Women’s 1500m final at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza during the PyeonChang Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 18, 2018. (Photo by Vincent Ethier/COC)

At PyeongChang 2018, the short track story was all about the new kids on the block. Kim Boutin became Canada’s only triple medallist of the Games, earning her the honour of being the Closing Ceremony flag bearer. Samuel Girard skated away with Canada’s only short track gold medal, winning the 1000m to go with his bronze as a member of the 5000m relay.

The Canadian team of Samuel Girard, left to right, Charle Cournoyer, Charles Hamelin and Pascal Dion celebrate as they capture bronze in the men’s 5,000-metre relay final celebrates the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, in Gangneung, South Korea on Thursday, February 22, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

But a month later, when the world championships took place in Montreal, it was time for the renaissance of Charles Hamelin. Having just won his fifth career Olympic medal with the relay, he claimed gold in the 1000m and 1500m at the worlds to help him win the overall title for the first time in his career.

Luge team rides roller coaster of emotions

READ: Alex Gough wins bronze at PyeongChang 2018
READ: Silver medal win full of redemption for Canadian luge relay team

Canada Luge Team Relay PyeongChang 2018

Sam Edney (left) and Alex Gough (right) react to Team Canada Luge Relay teammates Tristan Walker and Justin Snith crossing the finish the line during the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Thursday, February 15, 2018. Photo/David Jackson

Just a few days before the start of PyeongChang 2018, Alex Gough, Sam Edney, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith learned they would not be getting a bronze medal from Sochi 2014. But rather than let disappointment and anger hang over them, they focused on making Canadian Olympic history. In medal contention heading into the final run of the women’s singles event, Gough thought she had missed the podium when she crossed the line.

Team Canada’s Alex Gough celebrates winning Bronze in Ladies Single Luge at the Alpensia Sliding Centre, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Tuesday, February 13, 2018. The medal marked Team Canada’s first even luge medal in history. Photo/David Jackson

But when one of the last two racers fell behind her, the entire Canadian team erupted in celebration for the bronze that would be Canada’s first ever Olympic luge medal. Two days later, the core four of the Canadian luge program completely erased the Sochi disappointment by winning silver in the team relay.

Christine Girard receives rightful Olympic gold and bronze medals

READ: 6-year wait for Olympic gold just one more challenge for rightful champion Girard
READ: Christine Girard to be awarded London 2012 weightlifting gold

Canadian weightlifter Christine Girard poses with her children Aliana, left, Samuel and Philip, right, after being presented with the gold and bronze Olympic medals following a ceremony Monday December 3, 2018 in Ottawa. Girard was awarded the 2012 London gold and 2008 Beijing bronze medals after the International Olympic Committee disqualified athletes from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

It was a celebration a long time coming, but well worth waiting for. In early December, Christine Girard finally had her moment atop an Olympic podium as she received the gold medal that should have been awarded to her at London 2012 and the bronze medal she had missed out on at Beijing 2008 while competing against athletes who had doped. Now retired and a mother of three, she used the opportunity to laud Canada for its support of clean sport and hoped to use her platform for the benefit of all athletes.

Team Canada stomps and shreds its way to snowboard domination

READ: Parrot wins silver, McMorris wins bronze in snowboard slopestyle
READ: Laurie Blouin grabs women’s slopestyle snowboard silver

Team Canada PyeongChang 2018 Max Parrot Mark McMorris slopestyle finals

Team Canada’s teammates Max Parrot and Mark McMorris fist bump after securing silver and bronze medals during the Mens Snowboard Slopestyle at Phoenix Snow Park, PyeongChang, South Korea. (Photo by David Jackson)

There was an argument to be made that the Canadian men’s slopestyle/big air snowboard team was the deepest in the world. That proved true at PyeongChang 2018 where Max Parrot and Mark McMorris won slopestyle silver and bronze to give Canada its first medals of the Games.

Team Canada Laurie Blouin PyeongChang 2018

Laurie Blouin of Canada wins the Silver Medal in the Ladies’ Slopestyle Snowboard Final during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 12, 2018. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/COC)

READ: Toutant takes charge in golden inaugural men’s Olympic big air final

Towards the end of the Games, Sébastien Toutant grabbed the first ever Olympic gold medal awarded in big air, which also happened to be Canada’s 500th Olympic medal of all time. Laurie Blouin put Canada on the board in the women’s events, winning slopestyle silver amidst windy conditions that forced her to change her game plan mid-competition and after taking a hard crash in training that left her with a black eye.

Taylor Ruck rises while Kylie Masse maintains momentum

READ: Commonwealth Games: Ruck matches Team Canada medal record on Day 5
READ: Ruck sets new Canadian record, Masse selected as Pan Pacific MVP

Canadian athletes won 82 medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia to rank third behind the host nation and England. Leading the haul was 17-year-old swimmer Taylor Ruck who claimed eight medals (1 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze), more than any other competitor at the Games. She also tied the all-time record for most medals won by an athlete at a single Commonwealth Games.

Team Canada’s Taylor Ruck, right, is congratulated by Australia’s Ariane Titmus after winning the gold medal in the women’s 200m freestyle during swimming finals at the Commonwealth Games Thursday, April 5, 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Later in the year, Ruck stunned many when she defeated American superstar and reigning Olympic champion Katie Ledecky in the 200m freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships. That was just one of the five medals Ruck won in Tokyo, a Canadian record at the Pan Pacs.

Team Canada’s Kylie Masse swims her way to winning the women’s 100m backstroke final during the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Tokyo, Friday, Aug.10, 2018.(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

But it was Kylie Masse who was once again Swimming Canada’s Swimmer of the Year, in recognition of her four medals (2 gold, 2 silver) at the Commonwealth Games and her 100m backstroke victory at the Pac Pacs, where she was named female swimmer of the championships.

Canadian women rule on the water

READ: Gold and bronze for Team Canada’s paddlers on day 4 at world championships
READ: Canadian canoers claim two world championship titles on final day of races

Laurence Vincent-Lapointe

Laurence Vincent-Lapointe races to gold at the 2018 world championships in Portugal

It was a banner year for the Canadian women who race in a straight line on water with gold medals won at both the canoe/kayak sprint and rowing world championships. Laurence Vincent Lapointe, the world’s most dominant female canoer over the last decade, is primed for her events to make their Olympic debuts at Tokyo 2020. She won her sixth world title in the C-1 200m and fifth world title in the C-2 500m, teaming with Katie Vincent in the latter. The Canadians also broke world records in both events this season.

Gold medalists Canada’s Caileigh Filmer, right, and Hillary Janssens pose with Canada’s flag after winning in the Women’s Pair event at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

READ: Janssens and Filmer win women’s pair gold at World Rowing Championship

Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens stood atop the women’s pair podium at the world rowing championships after winning two World Cup medals, including one gold. The women’s eight continues to be a key boat for Canada, winning silver at the worlds for the second straight year.

Brooke Henderson makes history at home

READ: Brooke Henderson makes history with win at CP Women’s Open
READ: Brooke Henderson wins in Hawaii for sixth career LPGA victory

Brooke Henderson celebrates winning the CP Open in Regina on Aug. 26th 2018.
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, GOLF CANADA

Still just 20 years old, Brooke Henderson was a worthy runner-up in the Lou Marsh Trophy vote for Canada’s athlete of the year. In August she won the CP Women’s Open, the first Canadian woman to win Canada’s national open golf tournament in 45 years. It came at the end of a summer that had been personally difficult, as she suffered the loss of both her grandfathers. The historic victory was her second of the year and seventh of her career, meaning she is now just one win away from tying Sandra Post’s record for most LPGA titles by a Canadian.

Jumping for joy and medals in gymnastics

READ: Ana Padurariu wins world championship silver on beam
READ: Shallon Olsen vaults to silver at artistic gymnastics world championships

Canada’s Shallon Olsen shows her silver medal after the women’s vault final on the first day of the apparatus finals of the of the Gymnastics World Chamionships at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Never before did Canada enjoy the success it had at the world championships in artistic gymnastics. It began with a best-ever fourth-place finish in the women’s team event. It ended with two silver medals coming home in the pockets of Shallon Olsen and Ana Padurariu.

Canada’s Anne-Marie Padurariu performs the balance beam to win a silver medal on the second and last day of the apparatus finals of the Gymnastics World Championships at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Part of an all-North American podium, Olsen was beaten only by the world’s most dominant gymnast, Simone Biles, on the vault. In her world championship debut, Padurariu actually beat Biles on beam.

Rosannagh Maclennan of Canada performs on the trampoline during women’s trampoline in the team all-around final at the 33rd Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in St.Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

READ: Rosie MacLennan crowned trampoline world champion in St. Petersburg

Just a week later, Rosie MacLennan topped the podium in the individual event at the trampoline world championships, giving her two world titles to go with her two Olympic titles.

Most world championship medals ever on the wrestling mat

READ: Di Stasio gold leads historic 3-medal day for Team Canada at wrestling worlds
READ: Team Canada wins its most medals ever at the World Wrestling Championships

Justina Di Stasio in red of Canada wins against Nasanburmaa Ochirbat of Mongolia in the final of women’s 65kg category of the Wrestling World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, October 24, 2018. (Balazs Czagany/MTI via AP)

With four medals won, all by women, Canada had its best ever world wrestling championships in 2018. Headlining the charge was newly crowned 72kg world champion Justina Di Stasio. Danielle Lappage added a silver in the 65kg event while Erica Wiebe (76kg) and Diana Weicker (53kg) came home with bronze medals. Canada’s previous best medal total at the wrestling worlds was three and that was matched on just one night in Budapest.

Next Gen gets it done in Buenos Aires

READ: Emma wins silver in b-girl breaking at Buenos Aires 2018
READ: Team Canada’s rising stars capture 11 medals at Buenos Aires 2018

Emma of Team Canada competes in the Breaking B-Girls Quarterfinal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires // Photo: Ian Walton for OIS/IOC

Team Canada came home from the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games with 11 medals. Among the highlight performances: Emma Misak won a silver in breakdancing; Emma Spence won bronze in vault for Canada’s first ever YOG medal in artistic gymnastics, which was followed by a silver from Felix Dolci on rings; a bronze for the women’s rugby team; three medals in the swimming pool from Madison Broad, Finlay Knox and Alexander Milanovich.

Incredible individuals of Team Canada

READ: Alex Harvey makes history with bronze win
READ: Canadian Roundup: A record-setting weekend for Team Canada athletes
READ: Michael Woods wins bronze at the Road Cycling World Championships

Team Canada’s Damian Warner en route to his fourth gold medal at the Hypo Meeting in Götzis, Austria (Photo: Jean Pierre Durand)

Every year, there are always a few individual performances that just stand on their own. Alex Harvey became the first non-European man to earn an overall podium placement in the Tour de Ski. Christine Sinclair notched her 177th international goal, leaving her just seven away from the all-time record, and was named Canadian Women’s Player of the Year for the 14th time by Canada Soccer. Ghislaine Landry became the first woman to score 1000 career points in the World Rugby Sevens Series.

Christa Deguchi competes at the Judo World Championships in September 2018 on her way to winning bronze.

READ: Christa Deguchi wins Judo World Championship bronze in Baku

Christa Deguchi won the first five international events at which she represented Canada before becoming the first Canadian woman to win a world championship medal in judo. Michael Woods won bronze for Canada’s first world championship medal in cycling’s road race since 1984. Damian Warner captured his fourth decathlon title at the prestigious Hypo-Meeting, setting a Canadian record in the process.

Team Canada’s dynamic duos

READ: Lawes, Morris make history with gold medal in mixed doubles curling
READ: Kripps and Kopacz tie for two-man bobsleigh gold

PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 13: Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris of Canada compete during the Curling Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Game against Switzerland at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre on February 13, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea.(Photo by Vincent Ethier/COC)

There were so many tandems that stood tall this year. If Canadians weren’t quite sure what to make of mixed doubles curling, they were left with nothing but love for the new Olympic event when Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris won the first Olympic gold medal.

Team Canada Alex Kopacz Justin Kripps PyeongChang 2018

Driver Justin Kripps, right, and Alex Kopacz of Canada celebrate after tying for the gold with Germany during the two-man bobsled final at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Justin Kripps and Alex Kopacz provided one of those “did that really just happen?” moments when they tied for the gold medal in two-man bobsleigh and celebrated alongside their German competitors. Kaillie Humphries won her third Olympic bobsleigh medal, this time being pushed by Phylicia George who had only stepped into a sled for the first time a few months earlier as she transferred her skills from the running track to the ice track.

READ: Canadians win beach volleyball gold and bronze in Gstaad

Bansley and Wilkerson celebrate after winning Gold at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Las Vegas Open 2018
Photo Courtesy Volleyball Canada

On the sand, Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson are ending the year as the world’s top-ranked beach volleyball team on the strength of six FIVB World Tour podiums, while Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Parades hold down the three spot with a trio of World Tour podiums of their own and a Commonwealth Games gold medal.

The many top teams of Team Canada

READ: Team Canada wins men’s hockey bronze in PyeongChang
READ: Silver medal for Team Canada in women’s hockey
READ: Canadian women win bronze at the World Softball Championship

Canada hockey team celebrate with their bronze medals after beating the Czech Republic in the men’s bronze medal hockey game at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

They may wear different jerseys and compete in different sports, but they are all Team Canada and do us proud. There was the women’s hockey silver and men’s hockey bronze at PyeongChang 2018. The gold medal for Team Jones and the silver for Team Gushue at the world curling championships.

Canada celebrates their bronze medal victory over Japan at the World Softball Championship in Chiba, Japan on August 12, 2018. (Photo: WBSC)

READ: Weekend Roundup: Canada qualifies for FIFA Women’s World Cup and more triumphs

The bronze at the women’s softball world championships. And there’s a big 2019 in store after Canada qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the FIBA Basketball World Cup.