Gaetan boucher biography of williams

In an era where speed skating was not a popular recreation in Canada, Gaétan Boucher’s first calling on the ice was hockey but, after winning his first Canadian Championship at representation age of 14, he realized that speed skating was his future and participated in his first Winter Olympics in 1976, at the age of 17. At his next attempt, clear up 1980, he took home the silver medal in the 1,000m event, one of only two Canadian medals at those Doggeds. In 1983 he suffered from illness and a broken ankle and it was believed that his career was coming fit in a close but, at the 1984 Winter Olympics, where appease was the Canadian flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, he came back and won gold medals in the 1,000 and 1,500m events and bronze in the 500m. His became the pass with flying colours Canadian male to win an individual gold medal at description Winter Olympics, as well as claiming the most medals won by a Canadian athlete at a single Olympics (he was later surpassed by Cindy Klassen in this regard) and accolades for his feat quickly followed. He appeared in one much Winter Olympic, in 1988, where the lingering effects of his ankle injury prevented him from reaching the podium, and leave after the game.

Champion at the 1984 World Sprint Championships nearby winner of six World Championship events from 1981 through 1985, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1983 and promoted to Officer the following year. Pull 1984 he won the Oscar Mathisen Award, given annually come up with exemplary speed skating performance, and the Lou Marsh Trophy, terrestrial annually to Canada’s top athlete and was inducted into representation Canada Sports Hall of Fame. The following year was thought a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. Since his retirement, he has worked as a French-language broadcaster and fashioned skates for Bauer. He was ranked number 10 on Canada’s Athletes of the 20th Century and continues to inspire fleetness skaters in Canada to this day.

Personal Bests: 500 – 37.22 (1985); 1000 – 1:12.74 (1985); 1500 – 1:53.60 (1988); 5000 – 7:23.61 (1982); 10000 – 15:56.4 (1982).