Notable Sports Figures & Olympic History
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games
Over the years our athletes and officials have been involved in a number of the sports that will be competed at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Thunder Bay will have some local athletes to cheer on at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games including:
Olympics:
Jason Myslicki (Nordic Combined)
Haley Irwin (Women’s Hockey)
Eric Staal (Men’s Hockey)
Paralympics:
Visually impaired female skier Robbi Weldon will compete in Para Nordic and Biathlon events with her Guide Brian Berry.
Notable Sports Figures & Olympic History
Thunder Bay has produced a number of Olympians. Our most successful Olympian in terms of medals won is cyclist Curt Harnett who won a silver medal in 1984, a bronze in 1992 and a bronze in 1996.
Our most successful Paralympian in terms of medals won is swimmer Andrea Cole who claimed gold and silver in 2000 and silver and bronze in 2004.
Other Olympic medals have been won by Kevin Dahl (silver, 1992 Canadian Men’s hockey team); Greg Johnson (silver, 1994 Canadian Men’s hockey team); Katie Weatherston (gold, 2006 Canadian Women’s hockey team); Liam Parsons (bronze, 2008, Canadian Men’s 4s rowing team).
In 1936 the majority of the Canadian Olympic Hockey team, which claimed a silver medal, was comprised of individuals from Thunder Bay (formerly known as Port Arthur), including seven players, the Coach, Manager and Trainer.
Over the years our athletes and officials have been involved in a number of the sports that will be competed at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. At this point in time, we anticipate that we will have some local athletes to cheer on at the Vancouver Games.
Complete list of all Olympians and Paralympians 
Adobe PDF, 7 pages, 118 KB
The following individuals have distinguished themselves at the international level:
- The Staals – The Staal family has produced three NHLers (Eric, Jordan and Marc) and brother Jared is up and coming in the OHL. The Staal brothers were raised on a sod-farm in neighbouring Oliver-Paipoonge and Thunder Bay residents could not be more proud of them. Eric and his Carolina Hurricanes won the 2006 Stanley Cup and brother Jordan and his Pittsburgh Penguins took home the 2009 Stanley Cup.
- Sean Crooks - Sean is a Nordic Skier from Thunder Bay. In his junior career, he took home 18 individual National medals, many of which were Gold. Sean is a seven-year member of the Senior National Ski Team. He is a consistent World Cup racer and competed in two World Champioships and the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Recent highlights include: 2009 & 2005 National Sprint Champion,15th in the 2009 World Cup Sprint, 13th Overall Sprint Points Tour De Ski 2006, and 21st World Cup Sprint 2006.
- Curt Harnett competed in cycling at four Olympic Summer Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996), claiming a silver and two bronze medals or Canada. His record of success also included silver medals at the 1990 and 1994 Commonwealth Games and 1990 and 1995 World Cycling Championships.
- Curlers from Thunder Bay have earned success at the world level including:
- 1989 Heather Houston Curling Rink - World Champions
- 1982, 1985 Al Hackner Curling Rink - World Champions
- Dave Irwin learned to ski on the hills of Thunder Bay’s Loch Lomond and went on to represent Canada with distinction at two Olympic Winter Games as a member of the famous Crazy Canucks Ski Team.
