PyeongChang 2018 Countdown

Cindy Klassen was the “woman of the Games” at Turin 2006. The first Canadian athlete to win five medals at one Olympic Games, she was also the first female speed skater to achieve that feat. With six career medals, she became Canada’s all-time most decorated Olympian. BE EXCELLENT

At St. Moritz 1948, figure skater Barbara Ann Scott smartly re-worked her program to avoid some bad ruts from earlier hockey games on the outdoor ice rink. She dominated the ladies’ event to become Canada’s first individual Winter Olympic champion. BE GRACEFUL

Maëlle Ricker left the snowboard cross course at Turin 2006 in a helicopter and woke up with . no memories of her crash in the final. She used that as motivation four years later at Vancouver 2010 to become Canada’s first ever female Olympic gold medallist on home soil. BE RESILIENT

Marc Gagnon enjoyed literally his finest hour at Salt Lake City 2002 when he won gold in the 500m and 5000m relay on the last night of short track speed skating competition. With five career medals, he took his place as Canada’s most decorated male Winter Olympian. BE DETERMINED

At Chamonix 1924, Harry Watson set an Olympic ice hockey scoring record that will likely never be challenged. He netted 37 goals in five games as the Toronto Granites won gold for Canada, outscoring their opponents 110-3. BE EXCELLENT

Jon Montgomery always had an Olympic dream, but didn’t find the right sport until he saw his first skeleton race. Eight years of hard work and hard crashes later, he stood atop the podium at Vancouver 2010, having won gold by 0.07 of a second. BE DETERMINED

Chandra Crawford was a relative unknown when she made her Olympic debut at Turin 2006. But she powered through round after round of the cross-country sprint, winning her quarterfinal and semifinal before skiing to the gold medal and celebrating on the podium with exuberance. BE EXCELLENT

At Sochi 2014, Jennifer Jones skipped her rink of Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen and Kirsten Wall to a perfect 11-0 record, becoming the first women’s curling team to ever go undefeated at the Olympic Games. They won Canada’s first Olympic gold in women’s curling since 1998. BE EXCELLENT

Mario Lemieux had missed much of the NHL season after hip surgery, but painkiller injections kept him on the ice at Salt Lake City 2002. Sporting the “C” for Canada’s squad of NHL stars, he led them to the country’s first Olympic gold in men’s ice hockey in 50 years. BE A LEADER

Just 18-years-old, Kathy Kreiner was competing in her second Olympic Games at Innsbruck 1976 when she won giant slalom gold to become alpine skiing’s youngest Olympic champion at the time. It fulfilled her dream of winning the same Olympic event as Nancy Greene had done 8 years earlier. BE EXCELLENT

A team of servicemen came together to win hockey gold for Canada at the first Olympic Games after World War II. The last man added to the RCAF Flyers was goalie Murray Dowey. At St. Moritz 1948 he posted an Olympic record 0.62 GAA while stunning the European teams with his innovative use of a trapper glove. BE COURAGEOUS

At Calgary 1988, the “Battle of the Brians” pitted Canada’s reigning world champion Orser against the American Boitano. In an extremely close 5-4 judges split, Orser took home his second straight silver, becoming Canada’s first double Olympic medallist in figure skating. BE STRONG

The oldest member of the women’s national team who had played in more world championships than any other Canadian hockey player, Danielle Goyette was given the honour of carrying the maple leaf into Turin 2006. A role model on and off the ice, she scored four goals in five Games as Canada won its second straight gold medal. BE A LEADER

Two decades before Canada had its own ice track, Vic Emery and his crew of John Emery, Peter Kirby, and Doug Anakin became the country’s first Olympic bobsleigh champions. Primarily self-funded, they practiced their starts in gyms and had far less training runs on the Innsbruck 1964 track than the crews they defeated to stand atop the podium. BE DETERMINED

Nancy Greene was a double medallist at Grenoble 1968, highlighted by her dominant gold medal win in the giant slalom. She is also Canada’s winningest World Cup alpine skier, capturing back-to-back overall titles in 1967 and 1968, leading to her being named Canada’s female athlete of the 20th century. BE A LEADER

Snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson had won everything there was to win except an Olympic medal. That changed on a wet and foggy day at Vancouver 2010. In his fourth Olympic appearance, the “old man” of the sport was barely visible as he overcame a deficit to win parallel giant slalom gold. BE DETERMINED

For three seasons, mogulist Mikaël Kingsbury rarely missed a podium while racking up win after win. But at Sochi 2014 he finished second to teammate Alex Bilodeau. Both gave credit where it was due: Bilodeau to Kingsbury for pushing him to be better and Kingsbury to Bilodeau for his incredible run. BE RESPECTFUL

As reigning world champion, Elvis Stojko was a favourite for gold at Nagano 1998. But that was before he developed a groin injury for which he couldn’t take painkillers. When something snapped on an early jumping pass, he adjusted his free skate on the fly and secured his second straight Olympic silver. BE RESILIENT

Mathieu Giroux, Lucas Makowsky and Denny Morrison weren’t the best team on paper, but had a top-secret strategy to help them at Vancouver 2010. Skating in perfect synchronization, they gave each other a little push on every straightaway to maximize their energy output. They won team pursuit gold. BE UNIFIED

Pierre Lueders competed at five Olympic Games for Canada, but it was at Nagano 1998 where he made history with brakeman Dave MacEachern. Trailing an Italian sled by 0.03 heading into the final run, he made up that time but no more, resulting in the first ever tie for Olympic bobsleigh gold. BE EXCELLENT

Less than a month before her Olympic debut, Karen Percy underwent surgery to repair a broken thumb. Undeterred, the alpine skier won two of Canada’s five medals at Calgary 1988, capturing bronze in both the downhill and the super-G. BE DETERMINED

The youngest member of Canada’s “first family of freestyle skiing”, Philippe Laroche was the only with the chance to become an Olympian. Two years after winning the aerials demonstration event at Albertville 1992, he captured silver at Lillehammer 1994, sharing the podium with bronze medallist teammate Lloyd Langlois in aerials’ official Olympic debut. BE A LEADER

Edi Podivinsky was recovering from knee surgery instead of competing at Albertville 1992 when his doctor challenged him to make a comeback just like new Olympic downhill champion Kerrin Lee-Gartner. Two years later in Lillehammer, Podivinsky won downhill bronze, just the second Olympic alpine skiing medal ever by a Canadian man. BE RESILIENT

Canada’s hockey team at St. Moritz 1928, the Toronto Graduates, was so strong that officials advanced them directly to the final round while the 10 other teams played to see who would join them. The Graduates captured Canada’s third straight Olympic hockey gold, winning their three games 11-0, 14-0 and 13-0. BE STRONG

Jeff Pain did whatever was needed to finance his skeleton career – from selling vacuum cleaners to working as landscape designer. His dedication to his sport paid off with world titles in 2003 and 2005, followed by Olympic silver at Turin 2006 where he was part of a 1-2 Canada finish. BE DETERMINED

Goaltender Manon Rhéaume broke hockey barriers. First woman to play in a Canadian major junior league. First woman to play for an NHL team. At Nagano 1998, she was part of Canada’s first women’s Olympic hockey team, winning the silver medal. BE INCLUSIVE

At Salt Lake City 2002, figure skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier gave a performance worthy of gold. The scores, however, left them with silver. But as news of a judging scandal emerged, they made it clear that their Russian rivals were not at fault and the two pairs stood atop the podium together as co-champions. BE GRACEFUL

Canada’s first First Nations Winter Olympian, Kenneth Moore began playing hockey following the tragic deaths of his older brothers in the residential school system. A member of the Peepeekisis First Nation, he played one game at Lake Placid 1932, scoring a goal for The Winnipegs as they won Canada’s fourth straight Olympic hockey gold. BE INCLUSIVE

“Operation Cobra”, Canada’s secret short track strategy at Vancouver 2010, gave François-Louis Tremblay a long rest in the 5000m relay before he raced the last two laps, securing the gold. That tied him as Canada’s most decorated male Olympian, coming just 30 minutes after he’d won 500m bronze. BE UNIFIED

At Salt Lake City 2002, Kevin Martin lost the gold when his last shot slid just too far. With all new teammates, Martin finally got his Olympic gold medal at Vancouver 2010, skipping his rink of John Morris, Marc Kennedy, Ben Hebert and Adam Enright to the first perfect record since curling returned to the Olympic program. BE RESILIENT

Too small, wrong stride, bad in big races. That was the criticism followed Gaétan Boucher to Sarajevo 1984. Also coming back from a broken ankle, the speed skater responded with the best ever individual Canadian Olympic performance at the time, winning three medals, two of them the first individual Winter Olympic gold medals won by a Canadian man. BE STRONG

For an entire quadrennial, Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul were undefeated, winning four straight world titles as well as Canada’s first Olympic gold in pairs figure skating. At Squaw Valley 1960 they could not even be shaken when their music stopped suddenly and they had to re-start. BE EXCELLENT

It was a nightmare scenario: a broken pole in an Olympic final. But thanks to the goodwill of Norwegian coach Bjoernar Haakensmoen, cross-country skier Sara Renner was quickly handed a spare, allowing her and Beckie Scott to win team sprint silver at Turin 2006. BE GRACEFUL

They’re competitors who are also each other’s biggest supporters. At Sochi 2014, Justine, Chloé, and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe were just the third sibling trio to compete in the same individual Winter Olympic event. After Justine and Chloé won moguls gold and silver, they held hands in a moment of sisterly love before stepping on the podium. BE UNITED

The Winnipeg Falcons were founded when no one else wanted the players of Icelandic descent. After most team members returned from World War I, they returned to hockey and earned their way to Antwerp where they won the first ever Olympic gold medal in their sport. BE RESILIENT

A concussion kept Annie Perreault out of Lillehammer 1994. Then, just months before Nagano 1998, she had surgery on her lower legs to relieve compartment syndrome. She came back to become Canada’s first Olympic champion in an individual short track speed skating event, winning the 500m. BE DETERMINED

Just 19, Dara Howell dominated the first ever Olympic ski slopestyle competition at Sochi 2014. The top scorer in qualifying, she won the gold medal by almost nine points with a near-perfect first run in the final. BE EXCELLENT

Pairs figure skating wouldn’t look the way it does without Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden. They pioneered the twist lift, overhead lasso lifts, and throw jumps, all of which were very controversial. Three years after they took silver at Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956, the rules were revised. BE A LEADER

Jamaican-born bobsledder Lascelles Brown stood on the world championship podium with pilot Pierre Lueders in 2005. But it was less than a month before Turin 2006 when Brown became a Canadian citizen, finally making him Olympic eligible and able to push Lueders to two-man silver. BE STRONG

On the eve of the 1969 World Championships, figure skater Karen Magnussen was in a wheelchair with stress fractures in both legs. Doctors said if she skated, she might not walk again. That spurred a brilliant comeback, including her silver medal at Sapporo 1972 and a world title a year later. BE RESILIENT

A three-time world champion, Sandra Schmirler skipped her team of Jan Betker, Joan McCusker, Marcia Gudereit and Atina Ford to the first ever women’s Olympic curling gold medal at Nagano 1998 after a dramatic, last rock, extra end win in the semifinals. Just two years later, Schmirler passed away at age 36 after a battle with cancer. BE A LEADER

As the leading scorer at Salt Lake City 2002, Hayley Wickenheiser won the first of her back-to-back Olympic MVP awards. A year later she became the first woman to score a goal in a men’s pro hockey league, but continued to encourage young girls to get on the ice to further the women’s version of the game. She retired with four Olympic gold medals. BE INCLUSIVE

Duff Gibson didn’t take up skeleton until he was 33. But showing age was no obstacle, he won the 2004 World title before taking gold at Turin 2006. At 39 years old, he became the oldest Winter Olympic champion in any individual event, a record he held until Sochi 2014. BE STRONG

On the final turn of the 1000m at Salt Lake City 2002, short track speed skater Mathieu Turcotte got caught in a collision that sent four men to the ice. In one of the craziest finishes in Olympic history, he managed to scramble to the line, getting his blade across for the bronze medal. BE DETERMINED

Described as exotic, unusual, and extraordinary, Toller Cranston was one of the best known artists in figure skating history. After the value of compulsory figures was reduced, he used his special flair to win bronze at Innsbruck 1976, paving the way for future generations of male figure skaters to show their personal style. BE INCLUSIVE

Caroline Ouellette captained the Canadian women’s hockey team to its fourth straight Olympic gold at Sochi 2014 and made her own history. She became the only athlete to enter at least four Winter Olympic events in her career and win gold in all of them. BE EXCELLENT

At a time when resources for Canadian alpine skiers were severely lacking, Lucile Wheeler shocked the world when she won downhill bronze at Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956. In an event that had been dominated by Europeans, Wheeler became the first North American to stand on the Olympic podium. BE A LEADER

Kelsey Serwa made more than one comeback in the three years leading up to Sochi 2014, returning from a back injury and a couple of knee surgeries. With a lucky loonie in her pocket, she won ski cross silver, sharing the podium with teammate Marielle Thompson. BE RESILIENT

Jean-Luc Brassard thrilled all Canadians at Lillehammer 1994 when he won the country’s first Olympic gold medal in freestyle skiing. He had his trademark move, the Cossack, but he was also a trend-setter for all mogulists with brightly coloured swatches on his knees to better showcase his smooth turns. BE EXCELLENT

In winning 500m silver at Innsbruck 1976, Cathy Priestner became Canada’s first female Olympic speed skating medallist. She went on to an equally impressive career with various Olympic organizing committees, becoming the first woman in any country to lead the sports function at an Olympic Games. BE A LEADER

Beckie Scott made history at Salt Lake City 2002, becoming the first North American woman to win an Olympic cross-country skiing medal. Nearly 2 ½ years later, she finally received the gold that was rightfully hers after the two Russians who had placed ahead of her were disqualified for doping. Working with WADA, Scott is now a leading advocate for clean sport. BE RESPECTFUL

Suzanne Morrow and Wallace Diestermeyer won Canada’s first Olympic medal in pairs figure skating while changing their sport forever. The St. Moritz 1948 bronze medallists invented the one-handed death spiral, which quickly became a fixture in pairs’ programs. BE A LEADER

At Lake Placid 1932, speed skater Frank Stack won Canada’s only 10,000m Olympic medal thus far. Controversy surrounded the pack-style racing. Stack was among those DQed then reinstated before a re-skate was done. No results changed as Stack claimed bronze for one of Canada’s five speed skating medals. BE RESILIENT

Days before what should have been his Olympic debut, Steve Podborski ruptured two major knee ligaments. Lying in bed, he decided never to compete knowing he hadn’t trained as much as he should. Four years later he won bronze at Lake Placid 1980, the first non-European man to win an Olympic downhill medal. BE DETERMINED

With four medals, including three gold, Charles Hamelin is one of Canada’s most decorated male Winter Olympians. At Vancouver 2010, he won 500m and 5000m relay gold in a 30-minute span. He added a gold at Sochi 2014 in the 1500m, what was once his weakest event. BE EXCELLENT

A cracked rib couldn’t keep Isabelle Brasseur from competing at Lillehammer 1994. Fighting through pain on the high-flying pair elements she performed with partner Lloyd Eisler, they won their second straight Olympic figure skating bronze as joy replaced the disappointment they had felt for the same colour two years earlier. BE BRAVE

Chronic shin splints had caused mogulist Jennifer Heil to miss the 2002-03 season. But when she came back, her dedication and drive were unstoppable. At Turin 2006 she produced a golden start to the Games, becoming Canada’s first female Olympic champion in freestyle skiing. BE DETERMINED

After winning two medals at Turin 2006, Kristina Groves won an unprecedented five medals at the 2008 World Single Distances Championship, en route to becoming Canada’s most decorated speed skater all-time at the worlds. She capped off her Olympic career with 1500m silver and 3000m bronze at Vancouver 2010. BE EXCELLENT

Figure skater Elizabeth Manley became Canada’s sweetheart at Calgary 1988. She had struggled with a tough mental illness as a teenager, and had an unsuccessful free skate at the 1987 Worlds. But she overcame it all to deliver the program of her life and win Olympic silver. BE COURAGEOUS

After a decade spent building her business, Cheryl Bernard’s focus returned to curling in the late 2000s. Having never won a major tournament, she skipped her team of Susan O’Connor, Carolyn Darbyshire, Cori Bartel and Kristie Moore to a surprising victory at the Olympic trials and then a silver medal at Vancouver 2010. BE DETERMINED

Captain of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, Jack McKenzie not only led the fundraising charge to get his team to Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956, he scored seven goals in eight games as Canada won the bronze medal. He was unanimously named the tournament’s best forward by Olympic hockey officials, despite playing most of his time on defence. BE A LEADER

Short track speed skater Marie-Ève Drolet won relay bronze at Salt Lake City 2002, then retired when she was just 21. Finding a new love for her sport years later, she made her Olympic return at Sochi 2014, helping Canada to silver and bringing the country’s medal streak in the women’s 3000m relay to seven Games. BE RESILIENT

The first Canadian woman to win a World Cup bobsleigh medal, Helen Upperton missed the podium at Turin 2006 by 0.05 of a second. At Vancouver 2010, she and brakeman Shelley-Ann Brown were fifth after the first run, but slid their way up the standings to the silver medal. BE DETERMINED.

Three-time world medallists, Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall were the first Canadian ice dancers to win an Olympic medal with their bronze at Calgary 1988. When McCall passed away three years later from AIDS-related brain cancer, he inspired his fellow skaters in a tribute show that raised more than $500,000 for AIDS research. BE INCLUSIVE

A bronze medallist in aerials at Salt Lake City 2002, Deidra Dionne broke her neck in a training accident in September 2005. She underwent spinal surgery and just three months later was back on snow, training for the Olympic Games just two months away. Against all odds, she qualified for and competed at Turin 2006. BE STRONG

Two decades before Petra Burka won bronze at Innsbruck 1964, figure skating helped her mother Ellen survive the Holocaust when she registered herself as Dutch champion at a concentration camp. After arriving in Canada in the 1950s, Ellen coached Petra as she became the first woman to land a triple jump in competition. BE BRAVE

Dominique Maltais was down but not out in the women’s snowboard cross final at Turin 2006, getting up from a fall to win the bronze medal. Eight years later she won silver at Sochi 2014 to become the first woman to win multiple Olympic snowboard cross medals. BE RESILIENT

Christine Nesbitt was the reigning 1000m world champion who had won every 1000m World Cup long track speed skating race in the lead up to Vancouver 2010. As the heavy favourite, she fulfilled her potential by winning Canada’s only individual gold medal at the Richmond Olympic Oval. BE EXCELLENT

Marielle Thompson was unbeatable at Sochi 2014, winning all of her heats to advance to the Big Final in women’s ski cross. She crossed the line just ahead of teammate Kelsey Serwa, giving her the gold to highlight a season that included her second career Crystal Globe as overall World Cup champion. BE STRONG

In his last amateur performance, Kurt Browning skated for pride instead of the podium at Lillehammer 1994. After a disastrous short program, he’d said “sorry” to Canada and that he needed a hug. Fans sent him nearly 2000 faxes of support, including one with two arms outstretched. He responded with one of the most iconic free skates ever. BE GRACEFUL

It was remarkable that Spencer O’Brien was even able to compete in snowboard slopestyle’s Olympic debut at Sochi 2014. The reigning world champion had been kept off snow for seven months by joint issues, eventually diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis in November 2013. With proper medication, she advanced to the Olympic final. BE DETERMINED