68 British Columbians to compete in Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics

Aug 5 2016, 4:06 am

Just hours before the Opening Ceremony is set to begin, the Canadian flag is now flying high at Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Village, which most Canadian athletes will call home until the end of the 17-day quadrennial sporting event.

Canada has sent a massive contingent of 314 athletes to compete across 37 sports in the Summer Olympic Games beginning tomorrow, joining over 11,000 athletes from 205 other participating nations.

It is all part of the collective bid of taking home at least 19 medals at the events, a modest goal established by the Canadian Olympic Committee – an increase of one medal over the total haul in London four years ago when 279 athletes were fielded.

Nearly half of the Canadian athletes will have a connection with British Columbia; 68 have a hometown in British Columbia and 128 are either training in the province or receiving supporting services from various sporting organizations.

BC is a popular training location for both Summer and Winter Games athletes given that it has: suitable weather for all-season training for certain outdoor sports; a number of world-class training facilities, many developed for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games; and well-developed sport organizations that support athlete training and development.

These locally connected athletes will be competing in 18 sports, mainly in athletics, rowing, and swimming.

Vancouver-born Georgia Simmerling, who lives in West Vancouver, will become the first Canadian athlete to compete in three different sports at three different Olympic Games. She competed in alpine skiing in Vancouver 2010 then switched to ski cross at Sochi 2014. After an injury in 2015, she switched to track cycling and was able to qualify for the Rio 2016 Games.

“With a record number of athletes choosing to live and train in British Columbia, we are proud to be standing by our B.C.-based Olympians as they get set for the start of the Rio 2016 Summer Games,” said Wendy Pattenden, CEO of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, in a statement.

“We believe the winning combination of a climate conducive to year-round training, terrific facilities and the social legacy of Vancouver 2010 has been clearly elevated by the Government of British Columbia’s investment in sport development.”

At the London 2012 Games, Canadian athletes with a connection to British Columbia were responsible for 50% of the country’s total number of medals.

British Columbian athletes at Rio 2016

Athletics

  • Lucas Bruchet: 25; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Evan Dunfee: 25; born and hometown in Richmond, BC
  • Elizabeth Gleadle: 27; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Inaki Gomez: 28; born in Mexico City, Mexico; hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Mike Mason: 29; born in New Westminster, BC; hometown in Nanoose Bay, BC
  • Christabel Nettey: 25; born in Brampton, Ontario; hometown in Surrey, BC
  • Jessica Smith: 26; born and hometown in North Vancouver, BC
  • Hilary Stellingwerff: 34; born in London, Ontario; hometown in Victoria, BC
  • Ben Thorne: 23; born and hometown in Kitimat, BC
  • Alyxandria Treasure: 24; born and hometown in Prince George, BC
  • Christopher Winter: 30; born and hometown in North Vancouver, BC
  • Natasha Wodak: 34; born in Surrey, BC; hometown in Vancouver, BC

Basketball

  • Kim Gaucher: 32; born in Surrey, BC; hometown in Mission, BC
  • Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe: 24; born in Toronto, Ontario; hometown in Penticton, BC

Cycling

  • Laura Brown: Cycling – Track; 29; born in Calgary, Alberta; hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Jasmin Glaesser: Cycling – Track; 24; born in Paderborn, Germany; hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Tory Nyhaug: Cycling – BMX; 24; born in New Westminster, BC; hometown in Coquitlam, BC
  • Catharine Pendrel: Cycling – Mountain Bike; 35; born in Fredericton, NB; hometown in Kamloops, BC
  • Georgia Simmerling: Cycling – Track; 27; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in West Vancouver, BC

Equestrian

  • Tiffany Foster: Equestrian – Jumping; 32; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in North Vancouver, BC

Gymnastics

  • Brittany Rogers: 23, Gymnastics – Artistic; born in New Westminster, BC; hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Scott Morgan: 28; Gymnastics – Artistic; born and hometown in North Vancouver, BC
  • Shallon Olsen: 16; Gymnasics – Artistic; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC

Field Hockey

  • Brenden Bissett: 23; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in New Westminster, BC
  • David Carter: 34; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Taylor Curran, 24; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in North Vancouver, BC
  • Adam Froese: 24; born in Subang Jaya, Malaysia; hometown in Abbotsford, BC
  • Matthew Guest: 31; born in Shepparton, Australia; hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Gabriel Ho-Garcia: 23; born and hometown in Burnaby, BC
  • Gordon Johnston: 23; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Benjamin Martin: 29; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Sukhi Panesar: 22; born and hometown in Surrey, BC
  • Mark Pearson: 29; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in Tsawwassen, BC
  • Matthew Sarmento: 25; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC
  • Iain Smythe: 31; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in Burnaby, BC
  • Scott Tupper: 29; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC

Rowing

  • Will Dean: 29; born and hometown in Kelowna, BC
  • Caileigh Filmer: 19, born and hometown in Victoria, BC
  • Brendan Hodge: 31; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in South Delta, BC
  • Lindsay Jennerich: 34; born and hometown in Victoria, BC
  • Kai Langerfeld: 29; born in North Vancouver, BC; hometown in Parksville, BC
  • Maxwell Lattimer: 23; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in Delta, BC
  • Conlin McCabe: 25; born and hometown in North Vancouver, BC
  • Patricia Obee: 24; born in Saanich, BC; hometown in Victoria, BC
  • Lisa Roman: 26; born in Surrey, BC; hometown in Langley, BC
  • Antje von Seydlitz: 25; born and hometown in Smithers, BC
  • Lauren Wilkinson: 26; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in North Vancouver, BC

Rugby Sevens

  • Kayla Moleschi: 25; born and hometown in Williams Lake, BC

Sailing

  • Nikola Girke: 38; born in Grand Prairie, Alberta; hometown in West Vancouver, BC
  • Luke Ramsay: 28; born and hometown in Vancouver, BC

Shooting

  • Cynthia Meyer: 50; born in New York, USA; hometown in Bowen Island, BC

Soccer

  • Sophie Schmidt: 28; born in Winnipeg, Manitoba; hometown in Abbotsford, BC
  • Christine Sinclair: 33; born and hometown in Burnaby, BC

Swimming

  • Hilary Caldwell: 25; born in London, Ontario; hometown in White Rock, BC
  • Ryan Cochrane: 27; born and hometown in Victoria, BC
  • Emily Overholt: 18; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in West Vancouver, BC
  • Kierra Smith: 22; born in Vancouver, BC; hometown in Kelowna, BC
  • Noemie Thomas: 20; born and hometown in Richmond, BC
  • Markus Thormeyer: 18; born in Newmarket, Ontario; hometown in Tsawwassen, BC
  • Richard Weinberger: 28; born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; hometown in Vancouver, BC

Table Tennis

  • Mo Zhang: 27; born in Shi Jia Zhuang, China; hometown in Chilliwack, BC

Tennis

  • Vasek Pospisil: 26; born and hometown in Vernon, BC

Triathlon

  • Kristen Sweetland: 27; born in Nanaimo, BC; hometown in Victoria, BC

Volleyball

  • Jamie Broder: Beach Volleyball; 31; born and hometown in Victoria, BC
  • Daniel Jansen VanDoorn: Volleyball – Indoor; 26; born and hometown in Langley, BC
  • Steve Marshall: Volleyball – Indoor; 26; born and hometown in Abbotsford, BC
  • Gord Perrin: Volleyball – Indoor; 26; born and hometown in Creston, BC
  • Frederic Winters: Volleyball – Indoor; 33; born and hometown in Victoria, BC

Wrestling

  • Haislan Garcia: 33; born in Guanbacoa, Cuba; hometown in Coquitlam, BC
Kenneth ChanKenneth Chan

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