THE ROAD TO RIO: 75 % OF CANADIAN OLYMPIC MEDALISTS COMPETED AT THE 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES!
OTTAWA –Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) congratulates the 313 athletes on Canada’s Olympic Team for a successful Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and thanks them all for their thrilling and inspiring performances.
Of the 265 athletes who were members of Canada’s Commonwealth Games Team at the 2014 Glasgow Games, fifty three percent of these were on the Rio Olympic Team. Of the 28 Canadian Olympic medalists in Rio 21 are Commonwealth athletes. Of the 22 medals won by Canada in Rio, 17 were in Commonwealth sports, and 14 were won by Commonwealth athletes.
Gold medallists in Glasgow 2014 who were on the podium in Rio include Damian Warner, Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Catharine Pendrel, Erica Wiebe, Meaghan Benfeito, and Derek Drouin. In all, 36 medalists from the 2014 Commonwealth Games were in Rio with the Canadian Team.
“We have heard first hand from many athletes how important it is to compete in high-profile multi sport events like the Commonwealth Games in the years prior to the Olympic Games”, said Richard Powers, President of Commonwealth Games Canada. “While Canadian athletes often participate in single sport events such as World Cups and World Championships, having the experience of being on a larger Team Canada is essential to Olympic preparation.”
The Rio Olympic Games complete a rich quadrennial of high performance sport for Canada’s summer athletes, which offered the perfect continuum of major Games -
“There is no question that competing in the Commonwealth Games was essential preparation to my participation in Rio,” said “2016 Olympic Champion Erica Wiebe. “Winning gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was really important for me, as one of my first major international multi-sport Games experiences, and I will never forget it.”
With 71 participating countries and over 4000 athletes taking part in the Commonwealth Games, these Games offer a valuable opportunity for all Canadian athletes. The next Games will take place April 4th to 15th, 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia.
For further information:
Commonwealth Games Canada
Brian MacPherson
Chief Executive Officer
613.244.6868 x226
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES CANADA
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth movement in Canada, and an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community. The mission of CGC is to strengthen sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a development tool. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for information.
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