Canada at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games

Leading Up to the Games

This was the first time China hosted the Olympic Winter Games. Beijing became the first city ever to host both the summer and winter games, having previously hosted the 2008 Olympic Summer Games.

On 8 December 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games. No government officials from Canada would be attending the Games, to “show its displeasure with the Communist regime” and its dissatisfaction with China over its human rights record, particularly its treatment of the Uyghur people and its unlawful detention of two Canadian citizens during the Meng Wanzhou Affair. Though government officials would not be attending the Games, Canadian athletes were allowed to participate.

COVID-19 continued to be an issue in early 2022. Of the 2,871 athletes from 91 countries who were scheduled to participate, 98 athletes tested positive between 23 January and 20 February, in addition to more than 300 support personnel. Despite this, the International Olympic Committee praised the “safety” of China, as well as “its 0.01% coronavirus infection rate.” Other controversies involved a positive doping test for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva prior to the Games and the decision by several American-born athletes, most notably snowboarder Eileen Gu, to compete for China.

Opening Ceremonies

For the first time, a male and female athlete from two different sports carried the flag for Canada at the opening ceremonies of an Olympic Winter Games. Hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin and short track speed skater Charles Hamelin received the honour.

Snowboarding

Team Canada claimed six medals in snowboarding, more than in any other sport at the 2022 Games. On 7 February, Max Parrot of Cowansville, Quebec, won Canada’s first gold medal, in men’s slopestyle snowboarding. Parrot shared the podium with Mark McMorris, who won bronze. Parrot’s gold medal marked a triumphant comeback after he was treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2019. He added a second medal, a bronze in men’s big air, making him one of three Canadians to win multiple snowboarding medals at the Games. Eliot Grondin of Sainte-Marie, Quebec, won silver in men’s snowboard cross, and Meryeta O’Dine of Prince George, BC, won bronze in women’s snowboard cross. Grondin and O’Dine then teamed up to win bronze in the mixed team snowboard cross in the event’s Olympic debut.

Speed Skating

Team Canada came away with two Olympic gold medals in team speed skating; one in long track and one in short track. In the women’s team pursuit, Canada won the gold medal for the first time despite being gold medal favourites at past Olympic Winter Games. The Canadian team of Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin and Valerie Maltais got a lucky break when Japanese skater Nana Takagi fell on the final lap, allowing Canada to finish first. Weidemann added a silver in the women’s 5000 m and a bronze in the women’s 3000 m. As a winner of three Olympic medals, Weidemann was named Canada’s flag bearer in the closing ceremonies. Blondin also won silver in the women’s mass start.

In men’s speed skating, Laurent Dubreuil was a favourite to win a medal in the men’s 500 m event. He finished fourth, but redeemed himself with an impressive silver medal in the men’s 1000 m.

In the men’s 5000 m short track speed skating relay, Charles Hamelin teamed up with Steven Dubois, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and Pascal Dion to win gold. It was a significant medal for Hamelin; he tied sprinter Andre De Grasse for most Olympic medals won by a Canadian male (six) and speed skater Cindy Klassen for most medals won at the Olympic Winter Games (six). Hamelin also tied women’s hockey players Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford and Caroline Ouellette for most gold medals won by a Canadian Olympian (four). Like Weidemann, Dubois won three Olympic medals; her other two were silver in the men’s 1500 m and bronze in the men’s 500 m. On the women’s side, Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke won her fourth career Olympic medal by winning bronze in the women’s 500 m.

Women's Hockey

Canada entered the Olympic women’s hockey tournament as the reigning world champions, having won the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary. At the Beijing Olympics, Team Canada set the record for most goals scored in an Olympic women’s hockey tournament with 57. They went undefeated with a record of 7–0 and beat their archrival, the United States, 3–2 in the gold medal game. Sarah Nurse of Hamilton set the record for most assists (13) and most points (18) in the women’s hockey tournament at a single Olympic Games. Marie-Philip Poulin also scored two goals, making her the first hockey player on either the men’s or women’s side to score in four Olympic gold medal games.

Other Medals

Freestyle skiers Marielle Thompson (women’s ski cross), Cassie Sharpe (women’s halfpipe) and Mikaël Kingsbury (men’s moguls) had each won an Olympic gold medal in the past. This time they all settled for silver. Sharpe shared the podium with Rachael Karker, who won bronze in the women’s halfpipe.

Canada also won medals in two more mixed team events that made their Olympic debut. Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes, Alexandria Loutitt, Matthew Soukup and Abigail Strate won bronze in mixed team ski jumping, Canada’s first ever Olympic ski jumping medal. Miha Fontaine, Lewis Irving and Marion Thénault won bronze in mixed team aerials. Meanwhile, women’s monobob made its Olympic debut, with Christine de Bruin taking bronze. (Kaillie Humphries, who switched to Team USA after a bitter harassment dispute with Team Canada, won gold.)

In four-man bobsled, a Canadian team piloted by Justin Kripps won bronze. In men’s curling, Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland, skipped Canada to a bronze medal. For the first time, a Canadian won a medal in men’s alpine combined; Jack Crawford captured bronze.

Medal Table