Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Canada, represented by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, from August 8 to 24, 2008. Canadian athletes had competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900 with the exception of 1980, which were boycotted in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Canada sent 332 athletes in 25 sports, the seventh largest team at the games and Canada's largest since 1988. Canada did not send a team in handball, volleyball or basketball. Kayaker and 2004 Summer Olympics gold medalist Adam van Koeverden was the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies; Karen Cockburn bore the flag at the closing.

The COC had set a goal of finishing in the top 16 in total medals; at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Canada had finished 19th. Despite failing to win a single medal in the first week of the Games, Canada would rebound, winning a combined 18 medals in the next 9 days. This 9-day medal haul exceeded the 12 medals Canada won in Athens four years earlier. The country would wind up finishing 19th in gold medals and 14th in total medals in Beijing. Equestrian show jumper Ian Millar competed at his ninth Summer Olympics, tying the record set by Hubert Raudaschl. He had been named to ten straight Olympic teams, but did not compete at the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Canadian boycott. For the first time, Canadian athletes were paid for medals earned. Gold medalists earned $20,000; silver medalists were paid $15,000; and bronze medalists $10,000. A total of $515,000 from the Athlete Excellence Fund was given to the medal winning athletes.

Canada was the next host country of an Olympics, with Vancouver hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Medallists Medal Name Sport Event Wrestling Women's freestyle 48 kg Kyle HamiltonMalcolm HowardAdam KreekKevin LightBrian Price (cox)Ben RutledgeDominic SeiterleJake Wetzel Rowing Men's eight Equestrian Individual jumping Scott Frandsen Rowing Men's coxless pair Gymnastics Women's trampoline Jill HenselwoodEric LamazeIan Millar Equestrian Team jumping Triathlon Men's event Gymnastics Men's trampoline Diving Men's 3 m springboard Diving Women's 10 m platform Taekwondo Women's 67 kg Canoeing Men's K-1 500 m Wrestling Women's 55 kg Swimming Men's 1500 m freestyle Melanie Kok Rowing Women's lightweight double sculls Liam ParsonsJon BeareMike Lewis Rowing Men's lightweight coxless four Athletics Women's 100 m hurdles Canoeing Men's C-1 1000 m Athletics Men's shot put Weightlifting Women's 63 kg

Archery

Canada qualified its men's team by finishing eighth during the 2007 world championships. The individuals later qualified at the Canadian Olympic archery trials. It was Canada's first three-man team since the 1992 Summer Olympics. Canada also qualified an archer in the women's division after the Netherlands waived its quota for the women's archery competition.

AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankJohn-David BurnesMen's individual64450 (15)L 89–111Did not advanceCrispin Duenas66416 (49)L 108 (18)–108 (19)Did not advanceJason Lyon64647 (18)W 111–106 (15)W 107–113 (31)L 110–115Did not advanceJohn-David Burnes Crispin DuenasJason LyonMen's team195411colspan=2 (6)L 217–219Did not advanceMarie-Pier BeaudetWomen's individual62834 (31)W 109 (5)–109 (4) (2)L 107–114Did not advance

Athletics

Previous world champion hurdler Perdita Felicien officially announced on July 14 that she would not compete. This followed a foot fracture sustained during a February training session. Dylan Armstrong established a new Canadian record in the shot put.

Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankPierre Browne100 m10.222 Q10.366Did not advanceAnson Henry10.374 q10.337Did not advanceBryan Barnett200 mDid not advanceJared Connaughton20.603 Q20.455 q20.587Did not advanceTyler Christopher400 m45.675colspan=2 Did not advanceGary Reed800 m1:46.023 Qcolspan=2 1:45.852 Q1:44:944Achraf Tadili1:48.876colspan=2 Did not advanceNathan Brannen1500 m3:41.452 Qcolspan=2 3:39.109Did not advanceTaylor Milne3:41.569colspan=2 Did not advanceKevin Sullivan1500 m3:36.055 Qcolspan=2 3:40.309Did not advance5000 m14:09.1611colspan=4 Did not advanceEric Gillis10000 mcolspan=6 29:08.1033Pierre BrowneJared ConnaughtonAnson HenryHank Palmer4 × 100 m relay38.772 Qcolspan=4 38.666Tim Berrett50 km walkcolspan=6 4:08:1838

Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionMichael MasonHigh jump2.2519Did not advanceScott RussellJavelin throw80.426 Q80.9010James SteacyHammer throw76.3211 Q75.7210Dylan ArmstrongShot put20.435 Q21.04 NR

Combined events – Decathlon AthleteEvent 100 m 400 m 1500 mFinalRankMassimo BertocchiResult11.007.0514.101.9048.7214.3244.914.7045.334:42.26771418Points861826734714875934765819520666

Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankAdrienne Power200 m23.405 q23.516Did not advanceCarline Muir400 m51.553 Qcolspan=2 52.377Did not advanceMegan Metcalfe5000 m15:11.238 qcolspan=4 17:06.8215Priscilla Lopes-Schliep100 m hurdles12.752 Qcolspan=2 12.683 Q12.64Angela Whyte13.115colspan=2 Did not advance

Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionRuky AbdulaiLong jump6.4126Did not advanceTabia Charles6.619 q6.4710Nicole ForresterHigh jump1.8919Did not advanceKelsie HendryPole vault4.3018Did not advanceSultana FrizellHammer throw65.4433Did not advance

Combined events – Heptathlon AthleteEvent 200 m 800 mFinalRankJessica ZelinkaResult12.971.7713.7923.646.1243.91129.3464905*Points11299417801016887742995 * The athlete who finished in second place, Lyudmila Blonska of Ukraine, tested positive for a banned substance. Both the A and the B tests were positive, therefore Blonska was stripped of her silver medal, and Zelinka moved up a position.

Badminton

Canada was represented by two singles players and a mixed doubles team.

AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankAndrew DabekaMen's singles L 11–21, 11–21Did not advanceAnna RiceWomen's singlesW 21–15, 19–21, 21–19W 21–10, 21–13L 7–21, 12–21Did not advanceMike BeresValerie LokerMixed doublescolspan=2 L 9–21, 9–21Did not advance

Baseball

Men's team Canada qualified its men's baseball team for the Olympics by winning the final Olympic Baseball qualification tournament with a 6–1 record. Canada went 2–5 in the tournament, but all five losses came by one run, including one in extra innings.

James Avery – P (replacement for Scott Richmond) Chris Begg – P (RH) T. J. Burton – P (RH) Stubby Clapp – 2B Rhéal Cormier – P (LH) David Corrente – C David Davidson – P (LH) Emerson Frostad – 1B/C Emmanuel Garcia – SS Steve Green – P (RH) Mike Johnson – P (RH) Brett Lawrie – C/INF/OF Jonathan Lockwood – P (RH) Brooks McNiven – P (RH) Ryan Radmanovich – OF Chris Reitsma – P (RH) Chris Robinson – C Matt Rogelstad – INF Michael Saunders – OF Adam Stern – OF Scott Thorman – 1B Jimmy Van Ostrand – 1B/OF Nick Weglarz – OF

TeamWLRSRAWIN%GBTiebreaker252920.28650–1

Round Robin

Boxing

Twelve years after qualifying boxers in 11 of 12 events in 1996, Canada only sent one boxer to Beijing. Adam Trupish qualified for the Olympics by reaching the quarterfinal at the 2007 AIBA World championships.

AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankAdam TrupishWelterweightL 1–20Did not advance

Canoeing

Slalom Canada had a three-person slalom team in Beijing.

AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalRun 1RankRun 2RankTotalRankTimeRankTimeRankTotalRankJames CartwrightMen's C-193.831290.8013184.6313Did not advanceDavid FordMen's K-185.35689.4917174.8413 Q88.466 Q89.895178.356Sarah BoudensWomen's K-1158.9918109.6815268.6719Did not advance

Sprint For the first time ever, Canada had participants in all twelve sprint races.

Men AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankThomas HallC-1 1000 m4:05.1984 QS3:58.8201 Q3:53.653Mark OldershawC-1 500 m1:48.8172 QS1:52.6494Did not advanceAdam van KoeverdenK-1 500 m1:35.5571 QS1:42.4381 Q1:37.630K-1 1000 m3:29.6221 QFcolspan=2 3:31.7938Gabriel Beauchesne-SévignyAndrew RussellC-2 500 m1:43.1895 QS1:42.9213 Q1:42.4505C-2 1000 m3:43.4913 QFcolspan=2 3:41.1656Ryan CuthbertSteve JorensK-2 1000 m3:29.0377 QS3:26.6355Did not advanceRichard Dober Jr.Andrew WillowsK-2 500 m1:30.3244 QS1:31.2321 Q1:30.8576Rhys Hill Angus MortimerChristopher PelliniBrady ReardonK-4 1000 m3:06.8115 QS3:02.5723 Q3:01.6309

Women AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankKaren FurneauxK-1 500 m1:54.0657 QS1:55.1457Did not advanceMylanie Barre Kristin GauthierK-2 500 m1:46.1294 QS1:47.5109Did not advanceGenevieve Beauchesne-SevignyÉmilie FournelKaren FurneauxKristin GauthierK-4 500 m1:39.3665 QS1:38.2244Did not advance Qualification Legend: QS = Qualify to semi-final; QF = Qualify directly to final

Cycling

Road Canada qualified three athletes for the men's road race and the right to send a cyclist to the time trial event. To be eligible to compete in the men's time trial, an athlete must have also competed in the road race or in a track, mountain bike or BMX event.

Men AthleteEventTimeRankMichael BarryRoad race6:24:059Ryder HesjedalRoad race6:34:2656Time trial1:05:4216Svein TuftRoad race6:34:2659Time trial1:04:397

Women AthleteEventTimeRankLeigh HobsonRoad race3:32:5217Erinne Willock3:33:2337Alex WrubleskiRoad race3:39:3650Time trial39:15.4224

Track AthleteEventPointsLapsRankZachary BellMen's points race2717Gina GrainWomen's points race609Zachary Bell Martin GilbertMen's madison5–312

Mountain biking Canada qualified its riders via the UCI ranking by nations.

AthleteEventTimeRankGeoff KabushMen's cross-country2:03:5520Seamus McGrath (3 laps)44Catharine PendrelWomen's cross-country1:46:374Marie-Hélène PrémontDid not finish

BMX Canada qualified a female entry for the event, which was contested at the Olympics for the first time, via the UCI Nations ranking and a male entry via the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships.

AthleteEventSeedingQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankPointsRankPointsRankResultRankScott ErwoodMen's BMX37.05026198Did not advanceSamantha CoolsWomen's BMX39.13713colspan=2 144 Q7

Diving

Ten Canadian athletes qualified for the Olympics, and competed in six of the eight diving events. Spots were allocated at the Olympic Trials, held in Victoria, B.C., June 20 to June 22.

Men AthleteEventsPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankAlexandre Despatie3 m springboard453.609 Q518.752 Q536.65Reuben Ross446.1513 Q395.8518Did not advanceRiley McCormick10 m platform425.9514 Q391.3516Did not advanceReuben Ross425.6015 Q390.7517Did not advanceAlexandre Despatie Arturo Miranda3 m synchronized springboardcolspan=4 409.295

Women AthleteEventsPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankJennifer Abel3 m springboard300.7510 Q296.1013Did not advanceBlythe Hartley350.603 Q324.6010 Q374.604Émilie Heymans10 m platform403.853 Q374.104 Q437.05Marie-Ève Marleau296.5017 Q335.257 Q332.107Meaghan Benfeito Roseline Filion10 m synchronized platformcolspan=4 305.917

Equestrian

Dressage AthleteHorseEventGrand PrixGrand Prix SpecialGrand Prix FreestyleOverallScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankJacqueline BrooksGran GestoIndividual63.75029Did not advanceAshley HolzerPop Art67.04219 Q68.76015 Q71.4501270.10514Leslie ReidOrion59.75044Did not advanceJacqueline BrooksAshley HolzerLeslie ReidSee aboveTeam63.51410colspan=4 63.5149

Eventing