Guillaume Leblanc

His journey to the heights of his sport began at age 10, when he began race walking to emulate his two brothers, who had participated in the race-walking events at the Quebec Games. Little did young Guillaume realize that one day he would become one of the world’s top athletes in this discipline.

He began competing at the 1973 Quebec Games, held in Rouyn-Noranda. From 1973 to 1979, in summer and winter, he participated in eight final events in the Quebec Games, garnering six gold medals and one bronze.

Less than 10 years after he had begun race walking, Leblanc’s determination and discipline resulted in his selection for the national team, together with Marcel Jobin. In 1982, he participated in his first major international competition — the Commonwealth Games, in Brisbane, Australia — where he took the bronze medal in the 30-kilometre event. The following year, he won gold in the 20-kilometre race walk at the World University Games in Edmonton, Alberta.

In 1984, Leblanc represented Canada at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Although he was unable to complete the demanding 50-kilometre event, he still managed to finish fourth in the 20-kilometre race, with a time of 1:24:29. After winning bronze in the 20 km at the World University Games in Kobe, Japan in 1985, he took silver in the 30 km at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Four years after his first Olympic competition, in Los Angeles, Leblanc came in 10th in the 20-kilometre race walk at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. After winning gold for Canada in the 20-kilometre race walk at the Jeux de la Francophonie in Casablanca, Morocco in 1989, he came in first at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand in early 1990. That same year, he completed the 30-kilometre distance in a walking competition in Sept-Îles in a time of 2:04:55, setting a new world record for the 30 km. At that time, he showed that he had an exceptional degree of form.

This remarkable success proved a prelude to Leblanc’s lifetime personal best, achieved at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992. Disqualified in the 50 km trial, he finished the 20 km in a time of 1:22:25. This performance won him a silver medal — a rather scarce commodity in the history of Canadian Olympic race walking. After the Barcelona Games, now regarded as one of the best race walkers in Canada, Leblanc retired from competition. In 2006, the much-decorated athlete, who had achieved success of all kinds, was inducted into the Québec Sports Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was inducted into the Athletics Canada Hall of Fame. As of that year, he still held the Canadian records for the 10 km and 30 km race-walking events.