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By Sali Lafrenie

The Olympics are heating up! With the games underway, now is the perfect time to dive back into our Olympic coverage here at Library and Archives Canada. While Canada is often considered a powerhouse in winter sports, Canadian athletes have earned more medals at the Summer Games than at the Winter Games. To date, Canada has earned a total of 326 medals at the Summer Olympics, with the most success in athletics, aquatics (swimming, artistic swimming, and diving) and paddle sports (canoe/kayak and rowing).

In this instalment of our Olympics series, we’re revisiting these popular medal sports and a few others!

The Matchless Six: Amsterdam 1928

Remembered for their outstanding performances at the 1928 Olympics, the “Matchless Six” were Canada’s first Olympic women’s team. But why were they the first? And what did they do?

Despite the modern Olympic Games beginning in 1896, women were not allowed to compete in athletics until 1928. The team, consisting of Fanny Rosenfeld, Jean Thompson, Myrtle Cook, Florence Jane Bell, Ethel Smith, and Ethel Catherwood, made history by collectively winning four medals and competing in four events. Their dominance was particularly impressive given that women could only compete in five athletics events at the time.

The Matchless Six paved the way for future generations of Canadian women in athletics. They have since all been recognized individually in multiple halls of fame in Canada and in Parks Canada’s registry of National Historic Persons.

A Family of Olympians: 1912, 1960–1968

After qualifying for and competing in the 1912 Olympics, John “Army” Howard became the first Black Olympian to represent Canada (the first Black Canadian-born Olympian to medal was Raymond Lewis in 1932). Although his athletic career was put on hold while he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, he got the chance to compete one more time for Canada at the 1919 Inter-Allied Games where he won bronze in the 100-metre event. Photos of the 1919 Inter-Allied Games can also be found in our collection.

His legacy continued through his grandchildren, Valerie and Harry Jerome, both of whom competed at the Olympics during the 1960s. Making their Olympic debut together in Rome 1960, the brother-sister duo made an impact on and off the track. They both won numerous medals at the National Championships, the Pan American Games, and the Commonwealth Games. However, it was Harry who made multiple Olympic appearances, winning bronze in the 100-metre event. Their family left an enduring mark on Canadian athletics and provided early representation for Black athletes on Team Canada.

Medal Droughts: 1912–1984 and 1936–2024?

Sometimes medal droughts happen, but the important part is when they end. Canada has experienced two notable medal droughts, particularly in swimming and basketball. For decades, Canadian swimmers were shut out from the top of the podium, leaving George Hodgson as our sole gold medal winner—he won two gold medals and set four world records in 1912. With the outbreak of the First World War, Hodgson put his athletic career on hold to serve as a flight sub-lieutenant with the Royal Naval Air Service. In 1984, the 72-year drought ended spectacularly with golden finishes by Alex Baumann, Anne Ottenbrite (the first Canadian woman to win gold in swimming), and Victor Davis.

In basketball, Canadian teams have been working hard to end an 88-year drought. However, with recent success at the FIBA World Cup and the Pan American Games, both the men’s and women’s teams are suiting up for the Olympics together for the first time in over two decades. With Canadian players at an all-time high in the NBA and growing buzz about a new WNBA franchise coming to Canada in 2026, will 2024 be the year that Canadian basketball ends its medal drought?

Paddling to the Podium: 1992–1996 and 2004–2012

Team Canada has an extensive history of success in paddle sports, winning a total of 69 medals at the Summer Games in rowing (introduced at the Paris 1900 Games) and kayaking (introduced at the Paris 1924 Games). So, it should come as no surprise that rowing ranks as the third most successful event for Canadians at the Summer Olympics, with kayaking coming in fourth.

The most successful Canadian athletes in these sports have each earned four medals: Marnie McBean, Kathleen Heddle, and Adam van Koeverden. McBean and Heddle competed at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, earning four medals in two games and the titles of triple gold medallists. Now a member of Parliament, kayaker van Koeverden earned four medals in three games and is often referred to as Canada’s most successful paddler.

McBean and Heddle’s golden achievements have earned them both induction into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame—a recognition van Koeverden should expect to receive as well.

Back-to-Back Appearances: 2000–2004 and 2020–2024

Competing in the women’s water polo event at Paris 2024, Team Canada is making their fourth appearance at the Summer Games. Earning their Olympic berth in dramatic fashion earlier this year, the women’s water polo team is looking to make some waves. While we eagerly wait to see how the team will do, let’s look back at the team from Sydney 2000 and their notable co-captain, Waneek Horn-Miller.

Known for her athletic skills and motivational speaking, Waneek Horn-Miller is one of Canada’s most influential women in sport. She’s also the first Mohawk woman to compete for Team Canada at the Olympics. Co-leading the first women’s Olympic water polo team in 2000 to their best-ever finish, she also competed at the 1999 Pan American Games and at the 2001 FINA World Championships. While Horn-Miller no longer competes, she continues to share her love for sports and community through her work as a sports commentator, brand ambassador, and public speaker. In addition to sharing her experiences of the Oka Crisis, Waneek is the director of the Storyboot Project and served as assistant chef de mission at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

While the hunt for the podium continues for popular sports like hockey, football, volleyball, and basketball, the games have yet to begin for newer sports like skateboarding, sport climbing, and breaking (making its debut). So, what’s in store for Team Canada? Which sports are you most excited to watch? And, who’s going to be the flagbearer for the closing ceremony?

Additional Resources

• I loved running because where I placed had nothing to do with my colour: Olympian Valerie Jerome | CBC Documentaries
• Canadian Olympic Association fonds, Library and Archives Canada (MIKAN 198422)
• 2012-09-19 Olympians, Library and Archives Canada (MIKAN 5609841)
• 2015-07-10 Toronto Pan American Games, Library and Archives Canada (MIKAN 5610897)
• “The Man of Bronze”: Olympic athlete Dr. Phil Edwards, by Dalton Campbell, Library and Archives Canada Blog
• Games of the XXI Olympiad, Montréal 1976, Library and Archives Canada Co-Lab challenge

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Sali Lafrenie is a Portfolio Archivist in the Private Archives Branch at Library and Archives Canada.