Marc Gagnon (born May 24, 1975) is a Canadian former

short track speed skater Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the same size as a ...

. He is a four-time Overall World Champion for 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998, and winner of three

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

gold medals.

Biography

Born in

Chicoutimi Chicoutimi () is the most populous borough (arrondissement) of the city of Saguenay in Quebec, Canada. It is situated at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers. During the 20th century, it became the main administrative and com ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Gagnon started his Olympic career in 1994, when he had already won the 1993 World Championships. He won a bronze in the 1000 m event. Four years later, in

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

, Japan, Gagnon won a gold medal with the Canadian relay team. The 2002

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

Games proved to be Gagnon's best Olympics, with a total of three medals. A bronze in the inaugural 1500 m event, and two golds; in the 500 m and again as a part of the relay team. Even his disqualification in the 1000 m was memorable, as it was the first of an improbable series of events that led to Australian

Steven Bradbury Steven John Bradbury OAM (born 14 October 1973) is an Australian former short track speed skater and four-time Olympian. He won the 1,000 m event at the 2002 Winter Olympics after all of his opponents were involved in a last-corner pile-u ...

winning arguably the most unlikely gold medal in Olympic history. Winning a total of five medals in three consecutive Winter Games made him the most decorated Canadian athlete in Winter Olympic history until 2006. He has now been overtaken by long track speed skater Cindy Klassen, long track speed skater/road cyclist

Clara Hughes Clara Hughes, (born September 27, 1972) is a Canadian cyclist and speed skater who has won multiple Olympic medals in both sports. Hughes won two bronze in the 1996 Summer Olympics and four medals (one gold, one silver, two bronze) over the co ...

and short track speed skater

Charles Hamelin Charles Hamelin (born April 14, 1984) is a Canadian retired short track speed skater. In a competitive career that spanned nearly twenty years on the international circuit, Hamelin participated in five Winter Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014, 2 ...

, who each have a total of 6 medals. Tied with track and field athlete Phil Edwards and fellow short track speed skater

François-Louis Tremblay François-Louis Tremblay (born November 13, 1980) is a Canadian retired short track speed skater and five-time Olympic medallist who competed at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Olympics. François-Louis Tremblay is one of only three Canadian men ...

, he is one of the five most decorated Canadian athletes in all Olympic Games. Gagnon won his World Championships in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998. He is the first man to have become a four-time Overall World Champion. In addition, he finished 2nd twice, and third once. In 2007, Gagnon was inducted into the

Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame The Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame is an honour roll of the top Canadian Olympic athletes, teams, coaches, and builders (officials, administrators, and volunteers). It was established in 1949. Selections are made by a committee appointed by the Canad ...

and inducted into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

in 2008.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gagnon, Marc 1975 births Living people Canadian male speed skaters Canadian male short track speed skaters Olympic gold medalists for Canada Olympic bronze medalists for Canada Olympic short track speed skaters of Canada Olympic medalists in short track speed skating Short track speed skaters at the 1994 Winter Olympics Short track speed skaters at the 1998 Winter Olympics Short track speed skaters at the 2002 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1998 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2002 Winter Olympics French Quebecers Sportspeople from Saguenay, Quebec 20th-century Canadian people