Vancouver 2010: Maclean’s predicts the winners

A look at 50 Canadian Olympians with podium potential Cameron Ainsworth-Vincze November 18, 2009
Experts are predicting a huge medal haul for Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and the pressure is on our athletes to make the host country look good. Although the Canadian team won’t be finalized until a few weeks before the competition begins, here is a glimpse at 50 athletes we think have podium potential.

Gold, please

Short Track Speed Skating Hamelin is a threat in the 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m individual distances. He has captured 12 medals at the World Championships since 2005 and won silver at the 2006 Turin Games in the 5,000m relay. In the first four World Cup events of the 2009-10 season, Hamelin has already won three gold medals.

 

 

The silver and bronze crew

 

Tremblay brings loads of experience into these Games. He has three Olympic medals to his credit (gold in the 5,000m relay in Salt Lake City, silver in both the 500m and 5,000m relay in Turin) and has reached the podium 10 times at the World Short Track Championships.

 

 

Jean missed all of the 2007-08 season after cutting a tendon in his left ankle with his own skate. He came back and won bronze last year in the 500m at the World Short Track Championships in Vienna to go along with seven medals on the World Cup tour.

 
 
 

The 21-year-old Edmonton native won two bronze medals at the World Short Track Championships (500m and 3,000m relay) last March in Vienna. Gregg comes from good pedigree. Her mother Kathy was a two-time Olympian skater and father Randy played on the Oilers dynasty teams.

 

 

Roberge won silver in the 3,000m relay in Turin and has accumulated 22 World Cup medals since the start of the 2006-07 season. She captured two silver medals in the 500m during back-to-back World Cup events earlier this month.

 

 

 

Wild Cards

The younger Hamelin won a silver at the World Short Track Championships in 2008 and has earned 10 World Cup podium finishes. Although his specialty is in the 5,000m relay, watch out for him in the 1,000m.