Twelve B.C. athletes bring home medals
By Contributor
Twelve athletes from British Columbia are bringing home eight medals from the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games, including team medals in sports such as swimming, soccer, cycling, rugby and rowing.
A total of 142 athletes with a connection to B.C. competed at the Games in 18 different sports.
Of those, provincially-affiliated athletes earned 50% of the Canadian Olympic Team’s total medal count: one gold, one silver and nine bronze medals.
“British Columbia’s Olympic athletes and coaches showcased to Canada, and the world, what we are capable of,” said Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia.
“Our athletes significantly contributed to Team Canada’s medal count, but perhaps even more than that, they inspired another generation of young Canadians to dream big, and participate in international sport.”
Athletes from British Columbia who earned medals at the Games include (in chronological order of achievement):
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Taylor Ruck, Kelowna – swimming – bronze x2
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Kayla Moleschi, Williams Lake – rugby – bronze
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Emily Overholt, Vancouver – swimming – bronze
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Lindsay Jennerich, Victoria – rowing – silver
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Patricia Obee, Victoria – rowing – silver
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Hilary Caldwell, White Rock – swimming – bronze
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Laura Brown, Vancouver – cycling, track – bronze
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Jasmin Glaesser, Vancouver – cycling, track – bronze
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Georgia Simmerling, West Vancouver – cycling, track – bronze
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Sophie Schmidt, Abbotsford – women’s football (soccer) – bronze
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Christine Sinclair, Burnaby – women’s football (soccer) – bronze
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Catharine Pendrel, Kamloops – women’s mountain bike – bronze
In total, Canada won 22 medals:
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4 Gold
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3 Silver
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15 Bronze
Athletes from British Columbia will represent Canada at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Summer Games from Sept. 7-18.
Quick Facts:
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314 athletes make up the Canadian Olympic Team.
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142 of these athletes have a B.C. connection.
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68 of them have their hometown in British Columbia.
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In 2012:
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Canadian athletes won 18 medals at the London Olympic Games: 1 gold, 5 silver, and 12 bronze.
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50% of the medals came from athletes with a connection to this province.
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