Canadian Athletes Who Made Indelible Impressions On Their Nation At The Tokyo Olympics
Source: Unsplash
Canada is full of snow-capped mountains, boundless icefields, crystalline lakes, and ancient trees. Yet if you ask people, particularly Americans, what they know about Canada, it’s likely not the awe-inspiring landscapes that stretch across the nation. Instead, people will talk about what they think Canadians love: Tim Hortons, winter sports, and being polite to each other.
Granted, even though these are stereotypes, there’s some truth behind them. For instance, according to statista.com/, in 2013, there were over 3,500 Tim Hortons stores in Canada. The fast-food chain’s revenue hit 3.07 billion USD that year, making it the world’s second-largest coffee chain.
So, what about Canada’s reputation as an Olympics-obsessed country?
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Olympics Magic
It must be said, when it comes to the winter games, the Canadians definitely shine. Back in 2010, the country broke the record last set by the Soviet Union in 1976 (13) by winning an impressive 14 gold medals at the Winter Olympics on home turf.
Given their series of accolades this year, it’s also clear that Canadians definitely have a lot of love for their 2020 Tokyo Olympic athletes. After all, despite Canada not making it into the top ten for medals won at the Olympics, they came in at a respectable 11th place with a total of 24 medals and Canada’s athletes certainly made the nation proud.
The influence of the Olympics can be felt across many other platforms. For instance, patriotic supporters love to play online Olympic-themed games such as Microgaming’s Winter Gold and RTG’s Medal Tally slot games. These games replicate stadiums filled with screaming spectators in the background of the gameplay itself and playfully utilize wild symbols such as bronze, silver, and gold medals. Online casino directories such as bonus.ca/ provide a convenient service in that they list a range of iGaming sites, as well as their competitive features such as welcome bonuses and free spins so that players can easily find the right site for them. In addition, many of these sites accommodate sports betting, wagering on the Olympics themselves as well as other major sports such as the NHL and CFL.
Julia Grosso (Soccer)
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Julia Grosso will go down as a Canadian legend for scoring the gold medal-winning penalty kick against Sweden on August 6th. The 20-year-old midfielder won Canada their first-ever gold medal in women’s soccer.
It was a team effort, with Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé stepping up and providing crucial saves in the penalty shootout. However, the spotlight is deservedly on Grosso, who kept her cool and did her job, cementing herself in Canadian sports history.
CANADA YOU ARE FINALLY GOLDEN 🇨🇦🥇
JULIA GROSSO SEALS IT FOR CANADA #CANWNT pic.twitter.com/UGzSkr2KCU
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 6, 2021
Andre De Grasse (Track and Field)
Ontario-born Andre De Grasse is a six-time Olympic medalist sprinter who consumed the media headlines throughout the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Competing in multiple races, the 26-year-old ran the anchor leg in the 4x 100-meter relay final, taking Canada from the fifth-place position to the bronze medal position.
However, what he will be remembered the most for in Tokyo is setting a national record in the 200-meters. On August 4th, De Grasse ran a 19.62 in the 200-meters, making him the eighth-fastest man in history in the 200-meter race and a Canadian record holder.
Penny Oleksiak (Swimming)
Canadians already knew Penny Oleksiak was a star, but in case anyone forgot, the 21-year-old competitive swimmer from Toronto reminded them over the summer. Oleksiak, who specializes in the butterfly and freestyle events, added three more medals to her total (seven) in Tokyo, making her Canada’s most decorated Olympian, as stated by swimmingworld.com/. She had also previously won four medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Canada has a reputation for being a polite, soft-spoken country, which isn’t false or inaccurate. However, if the 2020 Tokyo Olympics proved anything, it’s that Canada is also a hard-working country whose citizens love their nation for dozens of reasons, including supporting the individuals representing Canada at major sporting events.
