Canada competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. Canadian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the country's support for the US-led boycott.
The Canadian Olympic Committee sent a total of 263 athletes, 130 men and 133 women, to take part in 28 sports. This was the nation's smallest delegation to the Games, since the nation boycotted the games in 1980. This had become a result of the COC changing its qualification standards, after a reduced medal showing at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, with the aim of sending fewer athletes but focusing its energy on those who have the best chance at winning medals. It has been suggested that the "logical response" of winning fewer medals was diverting funding away from sports where Canadians struggled (track and field) to ones where Canadians excelled (kayak and diving). Athletes that qualified for the Olympics would not be sent to Athens unless they had finished in the top twelve worldwide, a policy that was widely criticized as numerous Canadian Olympic medallists in past Games would have been excluded by such criteria. Over 50 Canadian athletes, including two-time Olympian marathoner Bruce Deacon, did not make the COC's "top 12" cutoff despite achieved the international qualifying standards in their respective sports. After 2004 the COC scrapped this policy but still maintains additional hurdles beyond international standards to ensure that athletes are in shape for the Olympics.High Standards runningmagazine.ca June 2009
Canada left Athens with a total of 12 medals (3 golds, 6 silver, and 3 bronze), the lowest in Summer Olympic history since 1988. Canada's overall medal count had been dropping in the recent editions of the Summer Olympics, along with the totals for most developed countries as the developing nations capture comparatively more medals. Many expected Canada to win a similar number of medals as they did in 2000. Most of these medals were awarded to the athletes in canoeing, cycling, diving, and gymnastics. Sprint kayaker Adam van Koeverden became the most decorated athlete of the Games with two Olympic medals, including a gold in the men's K-1 500 m.
The flag bearer was two-time Olympic medallist Nicolas Gill, a judoka. A mild controversy developed after it was revealed that Gill had made comments in favour of Quebec separatism, and had voted yes in the 1995 Quebec referendum. Gill went on to lose his opening match and was eliminated from the tournament, which was seen as symbolic of Canada's 2004 Olympic woes.
Medallists
| style="text-align:left; width:72%; vertical-align:top;"| Medal Name Sport Event Date Gymnastics Men's floor Cycling Women's sprint Canoeing Men's K-1 500 m Gymnastics Women's trampoline Rowing Men's four Wrestling Women's freestyle 55 kg Diving Men's 3 m springboard Cycling Women's cross-country Sailing Star class Diving Women's synchronized 10 m platform Canoeing Men's K-1 1000 m Canoeing Women's K-1 500 m | style="text-align:left; width:23%; vertical-align:top;"|
Medals by sportSport TotalGymnastics 1102Cycling 1102Canoeing 1023Diving 0112Sailing 0101Wrestling 0101Rowing 0101Total36312
Archery
Two Canadian archers qualified each for the men's and women's individual archery.
Men AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankJonathan OhayonMen's individual63250L 140–157Did not advanceMarie-Pier BeaudetWomen's individual61647L 128–146Did not advance
Athletics
Canadian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard). The team was selected based on the results of the 2004 Canadian Olympic Trials.
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankCharles Allen110 m hurdles13.352 Q13.302 Q13.234 Q13.486Tim Berrett50 km walkcolspan=6 4:10:3131Pierre Browne100 m10.325 Q10.216Did not advanceNicolas Macrozonaris10.402 Q10.286Did not advanceGary Reed800 m1:46.741 Qcolspan=2 1:47.387Did not advanceKevin Sullivan1500 m3:39.306 Qcolspan=2 3:42.869Did not advanceAchraf Tadili800 m1:46.634colspan=2 Did not advancePierre BrowneAnson HenryCharles HenryNicolas Macrozonaris4 × 100 m relay38.647colspan=4 Did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionMark BoswellHigh jump2.28=1 Q2.297Bradley SnyderShot put19.4620Did not advanceJason TunksDiscus throw61.2115Did not advance
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankCourtney Babcock1500 m4:08.189Did not advance5000 m15:47.3516colspan=2 Did not advanceDiane Cummins800 m2:01.195 Q2:00.304Did not advanceCarmen Douma-Hussar1500 m4:06.902 Q4:05.096 Q4:02.319Malindi Elmore1500 m4:09.8110Did not advancePerdita Felicien100 m hurdles12.732 Q12.491 QPriscilla Lopes-Schliep13.085Did not advanceÉmilie Mondor5000 m15:20.158colspan=2 Did not advanceAngela Whyte100 m hurdles13.013 Q12.694 Q12.816
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionDana EllisPole vault4.408 Q4.40=6Stephanie McCann4.4014 Q4.4010
Badminton
Women AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankCharmaine ReidSinglesL 4–11, 5–11Did not advanceDenyse JulienAnna RiceDoublesL 3–15, 4–15Did not advanceHelen NicholCharmaine ReidL 0–15, 10–15Did not advance
Mixed AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankMike BeresJody PatrickDoublesL 17–15, 11–15, 4–15Did not advancePhilippe BourretDenyse JulienL 4–15, 6–15Did not advance
Baseball
Canada's baseball team did very well in the initial stages of the round-robin winning their four first games. Despite losses to Japan and Cuba, they rebounded in their final game vs. Australia. Most notable has been the performance of second baseman Richard "Stubby" Clapp.
With a 5-2 record in the preliminary round, Canada finished in 3rd position, behind Japan and Cuba and ahead of Australia. In the semi-finals on August 24, Canada lost 8-5 to Cuba. Canada was leading Cuba 3-2 going into the bottom of the eighth inning but then gave up 6 runs. The game ended in dramatic fashion when Canadian Kevin Nicholson almost hit a game tying homer in the 9th. However, a heavy wind was blowing in from left field that night, which caused the ball to come down inches from the wall and was caught. Japan lost 1-0 to Australia in a surprising result in the other semifinal, almost ruining Canada's hopes for a medal in Baseball, which would later prove true as Canada lost to Japan on August 25 in the Bronze medal game, thereby finishing fourth.
Roster
Manager: 12 – Ernie Whitt
Coaches: 42 – Denis Boucher, 7 – Marty Lehn, 10 – Greg Hamilton, 21 – Tim Leiper.
Round robin TeamWLTiebreaker611-0610-152-43-34-25-161-0160-1
Semifinal
Bronze Medal Game
Boxing
Boxing had witnessed much controversy over the COC higher qualifying standards. After an appeal it was decided that three more boxers could go to Athens. Canada's most notable success was Benoit Gaudet defeat of Thai former champion Somluck Kamsing and Andrew Kooner who made it to the quarter-final in the Bantamweight class.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankAndrew KoonerBantamweightW 37–20L 32–44Did not advanceBenoit GaudetFeatherweightW 32–17L 16–28Did not advanceAdam TrupishWelterweightL Did not advanceJean PascalMiddleweightL 24–36Did not advanceTrevor StewardsonLight heavyweightW 36–20L 22–38Did not advance
Canoeing
Slalom AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalRun 1RankRun 2RankTotalRankTimeRankTimeRankTotalRankJames CartwrightMen's C-1105.7911105.1710210.9610 Q100.459Did not advanceDavid FordMen's K-1101.301898.5714199.8716 Q95.837 Q96.754192.584Margaret LangfordWomen's K-1123.0216121.8917244.9116Did not advance
Sprint Men AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankRichard DaltonC-1 500 m1:50.0053 q1:51.0273 Q1:48.1036Thomas HallC-1 1000 m3:52.4512 q3:51.7201 Q3:51.4575Adam van KoeverdenK-1 500 m1:37.5911 q1:38.9071 Q1:37.919K-1 1000 m3:24.9842 q3:27.5021 Q3:28.218Attila BudayTamas Buday, Jr.C-2 500 m1:40.4882 Qcolspan=2 1:41.2108Richard DaltonMichael ScarolaC-2 1000 m3:31.1234 q3:32.2802 Q3:45.6386Richard Dober, Jr. Steven JorensK-2 500 m1:31.9855 q1:34.3187Did not advanceRyan Cuthbert Richard Dober, Jr.Steven JorensAndrew WillowsK-4 1000 m2:56.3365 q2:55.9263 Q3:07.7149
Women AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankCaroline BrunetK-1 500 m1:50.3661 Qcolspan=2 1:50.601Mylanie Barre Caroline BrunetK-2 500 m1:43.4343 Qcolspan=2 1:42.8337Jillian D'AlessioKaren FurneauxKamini JainCarrie LightboundK-4 500 m1:36.8775 q1:35.4653 Q1:39.9528 Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal
Cycling
Road Men AthleteEventTimeRankMichael BarryRoad race5:41:5632Gord FraserDid not finishEric WohlbergRoad raceDid not finishTime trial1:00:31.4918
Women AthleteEventTimeRankLyne BessetteRoad raceDid not finishTime trial33:24.1916Manon JutrasRoad race3:25:4230Sue Palmer-KomarRoad race3:25:3711Time trial33:26.0117
Track Sprint AthleteEventQualificationRound 1Repechage 1QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankLori-Ann MuenzerWomen's sprint11.38063.2684W 11.88160.600W 12.064, W 11.888L, W 12.101, W 12.085W 12.126, W 11.822
Time trial AthleteEventTimeRankLori-Ann MuenzerWomen's time trial34.2687
Mountain biking AthleteEventTimeRankRyder HesjedalMen's cross-countryDid not finishSeamus McGrath2:20:339Kiara BisaroWomen's cross-country2:09:5015Marie-Hélène Prémont1:57:50Alison Sydor1:59:474
Diving
Canadian divers qualified for seven individual spots at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Men AthleteEventPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankPhilippe Comtois3 m springboard418.3212 Q629.2213Did not advanceAlexandre Despatie517.591 Q772.321 Q755.97Alexandre Despatie10 m platform436.868 Q625.148 Q652.354Christopher Kalec429.7212 Q606.8414Did not advancePhilippe ComtoisAlexandre Despatie10 m synchronized platformcolspan=4 351.905
Women AthleteEventPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankBlythe Hartley3 m springboard321.332 Q550.953 Q573.005Émilie Heymans305.047 Q531.008 Q530.7310Myriam Boileau10 m platform329.649 Q517.569 Q530.257Émilie Heymans351.123 Q538.175 Q555.034Blythe HartleyÉmilie Heymans3 m synchronized springboardcolspan=4 276.90710 m synchronized platformcolspan=4 327.78
Equestrian
Dressage AthleteHorseEventGrand PrixGrand Prix SpecialGrand Prix FreestyleOverallScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankAshley HolzerIndividualImperioso64.66742Did not advanceCindy Neale-IshoyProton66.58331Did not advanceLeslie ReidMark66.08335Did not advanceBelinda TrussellRoyan II66.00036Did not advanceAshley HolzerCindy Neale-IshoyLeslie ReidBelinda TrussellSee aboveTeamcolspan=6 66.2229
Eventing