The 2024 Summer Olympic Games began July 26 in Paris, where dozens of Canadian student athletes will compete for gold as members of Team Canada. For many of them, the Paris games will mark the first time they compete in the Olympics. Here’s a look at the standout athletes chasing Olympic glory while completing degrees at Canadian universities.

Read more: Check out our list of Olympic athletes studying at Francophone institutions.

Justin Barnes, @justinpbarnes

Sport: Sailing
Education: Completing a PhD candidate in global governance (climate change adaptation and environmental governance in the Arctic) at Wilfrid Laurier University
Fun fact: When Justin was 17, he joined the High Performance Program at the Royal Canada Yacht Club.
Highlight: Justin and his partner Will Jones secured top standing for the 49er Canadian crew at the 2023 and 2024 Sailing World Championships and the 49er FX World Championships.
Results: Class World Championships 2024: (49er w/ Will Jones) – 39th

Ellie Black, @ellieblack

Sport: Gymnastics
Education: Studying kinesiology at Dalhousie University
Fun fact: Since her Olympic debut in 2012, Ellie has competed in three games, with 2024 marking her fourth time and gaining her a Canadian record for Artistic Gymnastics.
Highlight: In 2017, Ellie made history by becoming Canada’s first ever all-around medalist at the Artistic Gymnastics World.
Results: Tokyo 2020: (Floor Exercise) – 63QR, (Uneven Bars) – 54QR, (Vault) – 12QR, (All-Around) – 24QR, (Team) – 10 QR, (Beam) – 4

Kenzie Priddell, @kenzie_priddell

Sport: Synchronize swimming
Education: Completing a bachelor of arts at the University of Regina
Fun fact: Kenzie fell in love with swimming in her own backyard pool when she was a kid. At age nine, she began artistic swimming and later advanced to competing at the national level when she was 13.
Highlight: Kenzie helped win three medals in the 2024 World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup – Technical Silver, Team Free Silver, and Team Acrobatic Bronze.
Results: Pan American Games 2023: (Team) – BRONZE

 

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Claire Scheffel, @claire_scheffel

Sport: Synchronized swimming
Education: Studying at the University of Waterloo & Athabasca University
Fun fact: Claire had tried both dance and swimming and concluded that Artistic swimming provided a good combination of both elements.
Highlight: In June 2024, Claire helped her team win metals in all three team events. (Team – Technical Silver, Team Free – Silver, Team Acrobatic – Bronze)
Results: Pan American Games 2023 (Team) – BRONZE

 

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Kate Current, @kate_current

Sport: Athletics
Education: Civil engineering (graduate studies) at Western University
Fun fact: Kate was recognized as one of U Sports Top 8 Academic All-Canadians at the University of Western Ontario.
Highlight: Kate is currently a Western University record holder for the 15oom and 3000m after breaking the previous record which stood for 37 years.
Results: World Athletics Championships 2023: (1500m Heat) – 9th

 

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Pierce LePage, @pierce_lepage

Sport: Athletics
Education: Interdisciplinary social science at York University
Fun fact: At 17, Pierce decided to transition from track and field to decathlon, after spending his time in elementary school focusing mainly on track and field and triple jump.
Highlight: At the World Athletics Championship in 2022, Pierce achieved his overall best score (8701pt), earning him a silver medal.
Results: Tokyo 2020: (Decathlon) – 5th

Katie Vincent, @katievincentcanoes

Sport: Canoe kayak
Education: Studying kinesiology at York University
Fun fact: When Katie first began paddling, she had to use men’s sized boats and paddles because women’s canoeing was only in the early stagers of development.
Highlight: After winning bronze at the 2023 Worlds, Katie and her partner Sloan Mackenzie secured Canada’s spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Results: Tokyo 2020: (C-2 500m) – BRONZE, (C-1 200m) – 8th

Olivia Lundman, @olivialundman

Sport: Athletics
Education: Studying kinesiology at The University of British Columbia
Fun fact: Olivia always enjoyed trying new athletic events so when someone suggested race walking, she quickly jumped at the chance to try it. In 2019, she competed in her first competition, where she won the 3000m at the Canadian U18 Championships and fourth in the 5000m at the NACAC U19 Championships.
Highlight: At the Canadian U20 Championships in 2022, Olivia won gold in the 10km race walk; in 2023, she won gold again at the 2023 Canadian Championships in the 20,000m race walk division.
Results: World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships 2024: (Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay) – 26th

 

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Emma O’Croinin, @emmaocroinin

Sport: Swimming
Education: Studying kinesiology at The University of British Columbia
Fun fact: Competing for the first time at age 8, Emma has always found herself intrigued by the technique and other complex elements required in swimming.
Highlight: In 2019, Emma made history by marking herself the youngest member of the Canadian team to compete at the World Aquatics Championships.
Results: Pan American Games 2023: (200m Freestyle) – 6th, (400m Freestyle) – 10th, (4x200m Freestyle Relay) – BRONZE

Blake Tierney, @ _blaketierney

Sport: Swimming
Education: Biomedical engineering at The University of British Columbia
Fun fact: In 2023, Blake aided UBC in winning the U Sports National Championships titles in the men’s 4x100m and 4×200 freestyle relay division.
Highlight: In the summer of 2022, Blake managed to reach the podium in all four events he participated in at the Canadian Championships. In doing so, he secured gold in the 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle, including silver in the 200m backstroke and bronze in the 200m freestyle.
Results: Pan American Games 2023: (100m Backstroke) – BRONZE, (Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay) – SILVER, (4×100 Freestyle Relay) – BRONZE, (4×100 Medley Relay) – BRONZE, (4×200 Freestyle Relay) – BRONZE

Kacie Bosch, @kaciebosch

Sport: Basketball
Education: Completing a bachelor of education at the University of Lethbridge
Fun fact: In her first-ever appearance at the FIBA 2022, Kacie helped the Canadian women’s team score silver, earning her recognition as a key asset to Canada’s international success.
Highlight: In 2023, Kacie helped Canada earn its first Olympic berth in 3×3 basketball at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where the team placed third in the FIBA 3×3.
Results: FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2023: 6th

 

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Rebecca Smith, @rebecca.smith14

Sport: Swimming
Education: Graduated from the University of Calgary nursing program in 2024
Fun fact: Rebecca began swimming at age seven and only a year later began competing, following her older sister Madalyn who she trained with for eight years.
Highlight: At the 2024 Worlds, Rebecca won two bronze medals while swimming in the leadoff leg for the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay and the butterfly leg for the 4x100m medley relay.
Results: Tokyo 2020: (4x100m Freestyle Relay) – SILVER, (4x200m Freestyle Relay) – 4th, (4x100m Medley Relay – Mixed) – 13th

Josipa Kafadar, @josipa.kafadar

Sport: Taekwondo
Education: Studying biological physics at Simon Fraser University
Fun fact: At age four, Josipa began practising and quickly progressed to the competitive sphere a year later. She always enjoyed a challenge, especially when proving people wrong about their assumptions towards her.
Highlight: In 2024, Josipa won bronze medals at the Canada and US Opens, including the World Taekwondo Presidents Cup for Pan America.
Results: World Taekwondo Championships 2019: (49kg ) – Rd of 32

Skylar Park, @skylar.park

Sport: Taekwondo
Education: Studying kinesiology at the University of Manitoba
Fun fact: Skylar began Taekwondo as early as 2 in her families Dojong. She says that she has been doing it since she could walk.
Highlight: In 2023, Park earned four international victories, highlighted by her first ever Grand Prix gold medal and followed quickly by a gold medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games. Park finished 2023 ranked third in the world in the Olympic 57kg rankings
Results: Tokyo 2020: (57kg) – 9th

Cassandre Prosper, @cassprosper

Sport: Basketball
Education: Studying at Concordia University
Fun fact: Before settling on Basketball at age 12, Cassandre played soccer, tennis, volleyball, and track.
Highlight: In 2022, Cassandre led Canada in scoring fourth at the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup; in 2023 joined Team Canada in the Fiba U19 Women’s World Cup where they secured bronze.
Results: FIBA AmeriCup 2023: BRONZE

Tammara Thibeault, @tammthibeault

Sport: Boxing
Education: Studying urban studies at Concordia University
Fun fact: At age nine, Tammara began boxing because of her father and brother who had taken it up for fun. By 12, she began competing, inspired by the women’s Olympic Boxing Competition in London 2012.
Highlight: In 2022, Tammara made a huge win when she secured gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Results: Tokyo 2020: (75kg Middleweight) – 5th

Shady Elnahas, @shadyelnahas

Sport: Judo
Education: Studying kinesiology at Concordia University
Fun fact: Shady first began Judo at the age of four in an effort to follow his older brother Mohab. After moving to Canada at age 12, Shady started competing seriously. He likes that he gets to be pushed to his limits and how it is a tactical sport that needs a certain level of physical and mental strength.
Highlight: Earlier in the year, Shady earned his very first career world championship after bringing home silver while up against Zelym Kotsoiev. He is highlighted by his achievements in winning gold five times at the Pan American Championships.
Results: Tokyo 2020: (100kg) – 5th

Sloan MacKenzie, @sloan.mackenzie

Sport: Canoe kayak
Education: Studying applied human nutrition dietetics at Mount Saint Vincent University
Fun fact: Sloan began paddling at the age of nine and quickly started competing at age 11. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Science in Applied Human Nutrition Dietetics, which she hopes will lead her into medical school.
Highlight: With her partner Katie Vincent, they secured bronze at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, which qualified them for a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is highlighted by her appearance in the 2022 Canada Games where she took home four gold medals.
Results: Pan American Games 2023: (C-2 500m) – GOLD

 

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Sarah Van Dam, @sarahmvandam

Sport: Cycling
Education: Studying kinesiology at the University of Victoria
Fun fact: Sarah Van Dam began cycling as early as three; later going on to pursue it competitively at the age of 11. She hopes to eventually pursue a career in health care following the completion of her kinesiology undergraduate degree.
Highlight: In 2022, Sarah won six medals at the Pan American Track Cycling Championships, including a gold medal in team pursuit, omnium, and Madison.
Results: UCI Track World Championships 2023: (Team Pursuit) – 8th, (Elimination Race) – 7th, (Individual Pursuit) – 13th.

 

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Kristen Kit, @kristenkit

Sport: Rowing
Education: Studying economics at the University of Victoria
Fun fact: Kristen began rowing in 2002, taught by her grandfather who started the rowing team at her high school. She has dreamed of competing for team Canada ever since she watched the unveiling of the Canadian flag at the Nagano 1998 Closing Ceremony.
Highlight: In 2020, Kristen secured the first gold in any Canadian women’s rowing event since 1996 at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as the first gold in the women’s eight since 1992. Earlier this year, she helped guide the women’s eight in winning a gold medal at the 2024 World Rowing II.
Results: Tokyo 2020 (Coxed Eight) – GOLD

Margo Erlam, @margoerlam_

Sport: Diving
Education: Studying sociology at the University of Saskatchewan
Fun fact: At age four, Margo began diving to follow older sister Martine; in the earlier stages of her athletic career, Margo won gold on the 3m springboard at the Junior Pan American Championships in 2015.
Highlight: Earlier this year, Margo won the women’s 3m springboard event at the Canadian Diving Trials, securing her a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is highlighted for her defeat of a two-time Olympian and world championship medalist while performing her final dive.
Results: Commonwealth Games 2022: (3m Synchro w/Vallee) – BRONZE, (3m) – 5th, (1m) – 9th, (Mixed 3m Synchro w/Hattie) – 6th.

 

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Rylan Wiens, @Rylanwiens

Sport: Diving
Education: Studying kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan
Fun fact: Rylan first began diving at age six when he attended a summer camp. He later went on to win his first ever junior nationals at 10.
Highlight: In February 2024, Rylan placed fifth in the 10m platform division at the World Aquatics Championships, thus qualifying him for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the same year, he went on to win two silver medals at the World Cup in Berlin.
Results: Tokyo 2020: (10m Platform) – 19th

 

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