The Olympics are now officially underway so we can all start looking forward to seeing how Canada’s athletes compete. While the competitors in the Summer Olympic games always give our nation plenty to be proud of, it can’t be denied that the Winter Olympics is where Canada really shines.
With so many exciting games happening in South Korea this month, it can be hard to know what to keep your attention on. And while all of our athletes deserve the support of their country, we’ve highlighted a few of Canada’s most promising contenders to ensure you don’t miss out on their shot at glory.
Justine Dufour-Lapointe and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe
Could Canada have a freestyle moguls dynasty on our hands? This sister duo joined Olympic history while competing in Sochi when Justine won gold and Chloe took home the silver. Truly a rare and wonderful moment of the games and surely Canada will be cheering loud, hoping to see them reunite on the podium together once again.
Charles Hamelin
Three gold medals and a silver medal – safe to say that makes the Canadian short track speed skater superstar one to keep a close eye on. But even with his impressive pedigree of wins to back him up, Hamelin is going into the games as something of an underdog. At 33 years old, he is looking to become to oldest medal winner in the sport.
Rachel Homan
It can be hard for Canadians to impress on non-Canadians the excitement of the sport of curling. It’s just not for everyone, but maybe one of the reasons Canada loves it so much more than others is that we’re just so good at it. Take for example, Canada’s women’s team, led by Homan, who are coming off an unbelievable undefeated year.
Mikael Kingsbury
Another moguls competitor and certainly not a stranger to the medal ceremonies. Canada’s top moguls skier is a favourite to take home gold for the country and it’s not hard to see where the high expectations come from. He has a record 48 wins for the World Cup and in recent competitions he’s been a medal winner in 18 out of 25 events.
Mark McMorris
Already a Bronze-medal winner from the previous Winter Olympics, snowboarder McMorris is looking to add to his trophy collection. Coming off a pretty severe injury from a backcountry accident which left him with a broken arm, ribs and more. Bouncing back and making it to the games is an achievement enough, but McMorris isn’t looking to stop there.
Marie-Philip Poulin
Of course, we just can’t be talking about the Winter Olympics and Canada without discussing hockey. The Canadian women’s team is looking to win a whopping fifth-straight gold medal from the Winter Olympics. And while it can be hard to highlight one player on such an impressive team, team captain Poulin has a talent for scoring at the right time getting both the the game-tying and game-winning goals in the overtime win against Team USA for the 2014 gold.
Linden Vey
On to men’s hockey, who are also looking to keep their gold medal streak alive with a third-straight win. Again, another solid team with many exciting prospects involved, but Vey, thanks to his high-scoring year in the KHL is poised to be a true standout.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir
Regardless of your opinion on the sport, all Canadian eyes are on this skate dancing duo as they are setting the stage for more medal glory. After winning gold in 2010 and two silvers in 2014, the pair have had a very strong season leading up to the games making many hopeful for another medal to the count.