Gold, sweat, and cheers: Ottawa-area athletes’ top moments at the Olympics in Paris

Posted on August 8, 2024

Ottawa-area athletes are making their mark at the Olympics in Paris with a show of stamina, skill, and sheer determination. Years of rigorous training have paid off in heart-stopping performances, bringing many closer to a moment on the podium.

With days to go until the closing ceremony, there’s still time to cheer on local competitors, whose strong showing already counts as a win back home. Here’s an up-close look at their chase for glory on the world stage, captured in stunning detail.

Someone in a kayak splashes water with her oars in front of a poster of the Olympic rings — Lois Betteridge of Team Canada competes during the Canoe Slalom Women’s Kayak Cross Time Trial on day seven of the Olympics in Paris at Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. Photo by Alex Davidson /Getty Images

Two people in kayaks cross oars on the water — Betteridge (left) competes against Slovakia’s Eliska Mintalova in the women’s kayak cross heats canoe slalom competition. Photo by OLIVIER MORIN /POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Cyclists with massive helmets with the Canadian maple leaf and reflective glasses cycle next to each other — Gatineau athlete Ariane Bonhomme with teammates Maggie Coles-Lyster, Sarah Van Dam, and Erin Attwell prepare to compete in a women’s track cycling team pursuit qualifying round at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, south-west of Paris. Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL /AFP via Getty Images

Olympic cyclists round a track with the background blurred from the speed — Bonhomme and other members of Team Canada compete during the Women’s Team Pursuit Qualifying on day eleven of the Olympics in Paris. Photo by Jared C. Tilton /Getty Images

A swimmer with a cap and one with her hair down hold their hands over their face while hearing the result of their meet — Julie Brousseau of Team Canada and Lilla Minna Abraham of Team Hungary after the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Heats on day six of the Olympics at La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France. Photo by Maddie Meyer /Getty Images

Swimmers dive into an Olympic pool during a relay — Brousseau (down) and China’s Ge Chutong (up) in a heat of the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay swimming event. Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND /AFP via Getty Images

Someone hits a tennis ball across the net — Gabriela Dabrowski of Team Canada hits a forehand shot during a Tennis Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal match with Felix Auger-Aliassime on day seven of the Olympics. Photo by Clive Brunskill /Getty Images

Someone takes a selfie of tennis medal winners on the Olympic podium. — Bronze medalists Gabriela Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime of Team Canada pose for a photo on the podium during the Tennis Mixed Doubles medal ceremony. Photo by Clive Brunskill /Getty Images

Four Canadian kayakers in red jerseys paddle on the water in line — Canada’s Courtney Stott, Natalie Davison, Riley Melanson, and Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka compete in the women’s kayak four 500m heats of the canoe sprint competition at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. Photo by BERTRAND GUAY /AFP via Getty Images

Two kayaks side by side in the water — Stott and Davison compete in the women’s kayak double 500m quarterfinals of the canoe sprint competition. Photo by BERTRAND GUAY /AFP via Getty Images

Two cyclists competing on an indoor track — Team Canada’s Michael Foley of Milton, ON, and Team Israel’s Mikhail Yakovlev compete during the Men’s Sprint 1/32 Finals on day twelve of the Olympic Games. Photo by Jared C. Tilton /Getty Images

Three runners on a blue track against a backdrop of onlookers — Canada’s Lauren Gale (right) races against Portugal’s Catia Azevedo and Australia’s Ellie Beer in the women’s 400m repechage round of the athletics event. Photo by JEWEL SAMAD /AFP via Getty Images

A water polo goalie stops a ball from going on the net with her face and shoulder — Canada’s Jessica Gaudreault saves a ball in the women’s water polo preliminary round group. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO /AFP via Getty Images

A cyclist on wet pavement while people stand in the background with umbrellas — Canada’s Derek Gee cycles in the men’s road cycling individual time trial during the Olympic Games. Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA /AFP via Getty Images

Someone in a red shirt and shorts tackles a player with the ball — Team Canada defender Vanessa Gilles of Ottawa tackles Germany’s forward Lea Schueller in the women’s quarter-final football match between Canada and Germany. Photo by PASCAL GUYOT /AFP via Getty Images

Someone crouches on a golf green with club in hand — Canada’s Brooke Henderson competes in round 1 of the women’s golf individual stroke play. Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND /AFP via Getty Images

Three runners mid-stride — Audrey Leduc leads Sweden’s Julia Henriksson and Brazil’s Vitoria Cristina Rosa in the women’s 100m heat. Photo by JEWEL SAMAD /AFP via Getty Images

A top-down view of runners lanes with the top athlete passing the finish line first — Leduc (top) crosses the finish line to win in the women’s 100m heat of the athletics event. Photo by JEWEL SAMAD /AFP via Getty Images

An athlete holding a bow releases an arrow — Eric Peters of Kitchener, ON, competes in the archery men’s individual elimination round. Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE /AFP via Getty Images

Two people fist bump while holding oversized archery bows — Peters and Joe Leszner, Mental Performance Coach of Team Canada, during the Archery Men’s Individual 1/16 contest on day four of the Olympic Games. Photo by Julian Finney /Getty Images

A runner mid-stride — Canada’s Jacqueline Madogo competes in the women’s 200m repechage round of the athletics event. Photo by JEWEL SAMAD /AFP via Getty Images

Three women race — Madogo left races against Adaejah Hodge of Team Virgin Islands and Polyniki Emmanouilidou of Team Greece during the Women’s 200m Repechage on day ten of the Olympics. Photo by Hannah Peters /Getty Images

A horse and rider mid-jump — Amy Millar and horse Truman in the Jumping Team Qualifier on day six of the Olympics. Photo by Mike Hewitt /Getty Images

A person holds their legs mid-dive, almost looking folded in half — Kate Miller of Ottawa competes in the Women’s 10m Platform Preliminaries on day ten of the Olympics. Photo by Quinn Rooney /Getty Images

Two people underwater and surrounded by bubbles after a synchronized dive — An underwater view of Miller and teammate Caeli Mckay in the women’s synchronized 10m platform diving final. Photo by OLI SCARFF /AFP via Getty Images

Team USA star LeBron James defends against Ottawa-based Marial Shayok playing for South Sudan in the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match. — Team USA star LeBron James defends against Ottawa-based Marial Shayok playing for South Sudan in the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match. Photo by SAMEER AL-DOUMY /POOL/AFP via Getty Images

One basketball player dressed in black holds the ball close as another in white tries to get it — Shayok outruns USA’s Stephen Curry. Photo by THOMAS COEX /AFP via Getty Images

Someone poses for the camera amid bright lights of the gynmastics venue of the Olympics — Sam Zakutney of Team Canada during the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Qualification on day one of the Olympic Games. Photo by Naomi Baker /Getty Images

smisenheimer@postmedia.com

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