Canadian Olympic Hall adds 14
Gymnast Shewfelt, skater Klassen to be recognized at June ceremony
CALGARY — Olympic gold medallist Kyle Shewfelt spent his youth admiring athletes like Mark Tewksbury, seeing him bask in Olympic glory and bring a medal home.
“I would watch him and think, if someone from Calgary can go to the Olympics and actually bring home a gold medal, maybe I can do it, too,” he said.
Years later, at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Shewfelt did just that, taking gold in floor exercise and becoming the first Canadian to win a medal in an artistic gymnastics event.
Shewfelt is one of 14 athletes, coaches and community leaders to be inducted to the Olympic Hall of Fame at a Canadian Olympic Committee event to be held at Calgary’s Saddledome on June 6.
The gala presentation will be the centrepiece of a three-day festival celebrating Olympic athletes.
“Olympic athletes toil, they work hard and prepare every day,” said Ken King, Calgary Flames CEO and co-chair of the gala event. “But they have only one small window for a spotlight, just a few weeks. They can go largely unnoticed, but what they’ve done is an incredibly unbelievable feat.”
Former Alberta premier Ralph Klein was named as an inductee in the builder category, after being instrumental in the successful bid for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.
“Ralph always wanted the Olympic Games to be for the people of Calgary, not just for corporate sponsors,” longtime aide Rod Love said. “He was the one who created an Olympic plaza where athletes would be presented with their medals every night. That way, Calgarians could be there.”
The concept has since been repeated at other Olympic host sites, including in Vancouver for the 2010 Games.
Olympic Hall of Fame inductees were named in five categories Wednesday:
For athletes: Shewfelt, who competed in three Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008, winning gold in artistic gymnastics in 2004, and Winnipeg speedskater Cindy Klassen, who also competed in three Winter Games (2002, 2006 and 2010), winning one gold, two silver and three bronze medals. In the athlete team cat- gory: the men’s eight rowing crew, which won gold in 2008.
In the coach category: Marcel Lacroix, who coached speedskaters to Olympic medals in both short track and long track.
In the builder category: Klein and Pat Quinn, who coached men’s hockey in 2002 and 2006, winning gold in 2002.
In the Canadian Olympic order category: Quebec sports journalist Richard Garneau, who covered 23 Olympic Games.