Clara Hughes, OC, OM, MSC OLY[3] (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 course of three Winter Olympics.[4]
Hughes is one of the few athletes who have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic games.[5] Hughes is one of only six people to have podium finishes in the Winter and Summer versions of the Games, and is the only person ever to have won multiple medals in both.[6][7][8] Hughes was the first Canadian woman to win a medal in road cycling at the Olympics, winning two in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.[4]
As a result of her success in multiple sports and her humanitarian efforts, Hughes was named to both the Order of Manitoba and as an Officer of the Order of Canada. She is involved with Right To Play, which is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sports to encourage the development of youth in disadvantaged areas.[9] After winning her gold medal in 2006, she donated $10,000 to Right to Play.
Throughout her career Hughes received a number of other awards, trophies, and accolades. She was named Female Athlete of the Year by Speed Skating Canada in 2004 for long track. In 2006, she received the International Olympic Committee's Sport and Community Trophy. She was then named to the 2006 List of Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity by the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS). In the summer of the year 2010, it was announced that she would receive a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame and on November 15, 2010, she was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Clara Hughes". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ "Clara Hughes". olympic.ca. Canadian Olympic Committee. September 18, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ Olympians: Olympians for Life – website of the WOA
- ^ a b Canadian Press (June 22, 2012). "London 2012: Hesjedal and Hughes to lead Canadian road cycling team at London Games". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
- ^ Gall, Jonnie (December 18, 2013). "Who's competed in the summer and winter Olympics?". GrindTV. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ "Clara Hughes's finest hour". CBC Sports. February 26, 2006. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
- ^ "Olympic heroes: Double doses of Eddie Eagan". Edmonton Sun. February 10, 2010. Archived from the original on April 3, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
- ^ Jesse Campigotto (June 21, 2012). "Cyclists Ryder Hesjedal, Clara Hughes join Olympic team". CBC Sports. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ "Congratulations to Right To Play Athlete Ambassador Clara Hughes Canada's flag bearer for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games". Right to Play. January 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2010.