Going into the Beijing Games, it seemed clear that Canada would not exceed its historic total of 29 medals, achieved in Pyeongchang. But a week later, representatives of the Maple Leaf have already climbed the podium on 12 occasions. It was only once less than at the same time four years ago.
• Read also: Beijing 2022: a second medal for Beauceron Éliot Grondin
• Read also: McMorris challenges Parrot’s win
The Olympic calendar being different from year to year, the game of comparisons can seem perilous. We have to admit, however, that the Canadians are maintaining an interesting pace, helped in particular by a few surprise performances and their medals won in new competitions on the Games program (see below).
After an analysis of the forces present, Le Journal had predicted a total of 26 medals for Canada in China. These predictions still seem to hold. Athletes from here still have many good chances for the podium, notably in snowboarding, freestyle skiing, speed skating, bobsleigh and, of course, hockey.
Then, the Olympiques wouldn’t be the Olympiques without these surprises that make it possible to write the most beautiful stories. This week, Canada won its first medal in ski jumping, an event included in the calendar of the Games in… 1924.
► Last night at the time of publishing this article, at the start of the eighth day of competition, Éliot Grondin, rising star of snowboard cross, added bronze to his harvest in the mixed event. He completed the team with Meryeta O’Dine for the 13and Canadian medal.
PyeongChang 2018
- Gold : 4
- Silver : 5
- Bronze: 4
TOTAL: 13 MEDALS
Beijing 2022
- Gold : 1
- Silver : 4
- Bronze: 7
TOTAL: 12 MEDALS
*Day 1 is not counted as no medals are awarded on the day of the Opening Ceremony. The podiums that would have been obtained this Friday evening are not indicated.
Day 2
PYEONGCHANG 2018
Photo archives, Ben Pelosse
Canada opens its Games with a double in slopestyle: silver for Maxence Parrot and bronze for Mark McMorris. We can believe in a strong start for the Canadian delegation, but it suffered disappointments during the day: Quebecer Samuel Girard finished at the bottom of the podium in the 1500 m in short track and Ivanie Blondin took the sixth rank in the 3000m long track.
- Gold : 0
- Silver : 1
- Bronze: 1
BEIJING 2022
Mikael Kingsbury could dream of an Olympic double, after winning gold in Pyeongchang. The freestyle skiing legend ultimately had to settle for silver, but he still added a third medal to his Games record, having also finished second in Sochi. Earlier in the day, Isabelle Weidemann gave her country its first podium in Beijing, thanks to a bronze race in the 3000 meters long track.
- Gold : 0
- Silver : 1
- Bronze: 1
Day 3
PYEONGCHANG 2018
Photo archives, Ben Pelosse
Canadian athletes are having a great day, thanks in particular to the prowess of Quebec women Justine Dufour Lapointe (skiing – moguls) and Laurie Blouin (snowboarding – slopestyle), both silver medalists. In long track, Ted-Jan Bloemen also took second place, over 5000 meters. But above all, Canada won its first gold medal of the Games: led by dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the country won the inaugural team figure skating event.
- Gold : 1
- Silver : 3
- Bronze: 0
BEIJING 2022
Canada added no medals to its roster. Speed skater Ted-Jan Bloemen, a double medalist four years ago, has to settle for 10and rank on 5000 meters. The day is also marked by the violent fall of Justine Dufour Lapointe in the moguls final. Holder of two Olympic podiums, the youngest of the family of skiers is still finishing her descent. “The young girls at home saw me continue and arrive at the bottom of the course with a smile. Life is not always beautiful, life is not always easy, but you have to get up, ”she said afterwards.
- Gold : 0
- Silver : 0
- Bronze: 0
Day 4
PYEONGCHANG 2018
Archive photo, Didier Debusschère
On this fourth day of the Games, Mikael Kingsbury wrote his name in history by winning his first Olympic gold medal. From now on, no one can dispute his nickname of “king of the moguls”. Masterful during his final descent, the boss from Deux-Montagnes ignored the pressure and stress to win the most important title of his career.
- Gold : 1
- Silver : 0
- Bronze: 0
BEIJING 2022
An auspicious and emotional day for Canada. In slopestyle, the snowboarder from Bromont Maxence Parrot wins gold, three years after being diagnosed with cancer. His compatriot Mark McMorris finished third. Kim Boutin repeats her bronze obtained in the 500 meters in 2018, but this time without being the object of the wrath of disgruntled supporters. In ski jumping, Canadians write history: Alexandria Loutitt, Abigail Strate, Matthew Soukup and Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes finish third in the mixed event. This is the country’s first medal in this discipline in 98 years.
- Gold : 1
- Silver : 0
- Bronze: 3
Day 5
PYEONGCHANG 2018
Archive photo, Didier Debusschère
The Sherbrookoise Kim Boutin wins the first Olympic medal of his career, but this bronze obtained in the 500 meters is clouded by the threats received on social networks from South Korean supporters. Boutin, fourth in the final, was able to climb on the podium thanks to the disqualification of a local favorite, who had finished second. In mixed curling, John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes won gold, while Alex Gough won bronze in women’s luge.
- Gold : 1
- Silver : 0
- Bronze: 2
BEIJING 2022
The Canadian athletes did not add any medals, but signed some fine performances. Over 20 kilometres, the biathlete Scott Gow tied for Canada’s top spot in the discipline, with a fifth place finish. Quebecer Jean-Philippe Le Guellec also finished fifth in Sochi, in the 10 kilometer sprint.
- Gold : 0
- Silver : 0
- Bronze: 0
Day 6
PYEONGCHANG 2018
Photo archives, Ben Pelosse
Couples, figure skaters Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford win the first Olympic medal of their long association. The Montreal-based pair of Ontarians finished third in the short program, before finishing second in the free program. “It will make me happy for the rest of my life,” Duhamel said as he descended from the podium.
- Gold : 0
- Silver : 0
- Bronze: 1
BEIJING 2022
Photo Didier Debusschere
Short track speed skater Charles Hamelin is competing in the final individual event of his stellar career in the 1,500 metres, but it’s his compatriot Steven Dubois which is illustrated over the distance. Dubois climbed up the whole field of the disputed Final to 10 to win the silver. Suffered from a concussion four years ago, snowboarder Meryeta Odine banished her bad memories by winning bronze in snowboard cross.
- Gold : 0
- Silver : 1
- Bronze: 1
Day 7
PYEONGCHANG 2018
Ted Jan Bloemen flew over 10,000 meters in long track speed skating, setting the Olympic record at the same time (12 min 39.77 s). The Dutch-born Albertan also eclipses the king of the discipline, his former teammate Sven Kramer. In the luge team relay, Canadians Alex Gough, Sam Edney, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith won silver, the second medal in the country’s history in this discipline after Gough obtained earlier in the Games.
- Gold : 1
- Silver : 1
- Bronze: 0
BEIJING 2022
At only 20 years old, the Quebecer Eliot Grondin becomes the youngest snowboarder in history to win an Olympic medal – silver – in snowboard cross. Isabelle Weidemann is the first Canadian to reach the podium twice in Beijing, thanks to her second place in the 5000 meters long track. In the mixed freestyle ski jumps event, three representatives from Quebec (Miha Fontaine, Marion Thénault and Lewis Irving) won bronze in this new team competition. In alpine skiing, James Crawford climbs to the third step of the podium in the combined, to add a layer to this great day for Canada.
- Gold : 0
- Silver : 2
- Bronze: 2
