The 2024 Summer Games begin on Friday in Paris.
Canada is sending 338 athletes to the Olympics, including 26 from Ottawa, eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
The Summer Games run from July 26 to Aug. 11.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca introduces you to the Canadian Olympians from Ottawa, eastern Ontario and western Quebec to keep an eye on in Paris.
Ottawa
Eliezer Adjibi
Sport: Athletics
The 23-year-old from Ottawa will be making his Olympic debut at Paris 2024. Adjibi will be part of the men’s 4×100 metre relay in Paris. Adjibi finished second in the 100 metres at the Canadian national championships.
Adjibi graduated from Louis-Riel high school and the University of Ottawa.
Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka
Sport: Canoe-Kayak Spring
The 21-year-old from Ottawa makes her Olympic debut in Paris. Besharah-Hrebacka will be competing in the women’s K-4 500 metre.
Besharah-Hrebacka is a member of the Rideau Canoe Club and is studying at the University of Ottawa. She made her debut at the senior ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship in 2022, reaching the A-final as a member of the women’s K-4 500 metre crew.
Lois Betteridge
Sport: Canoe-Kayak Slalom
The 26-year-old from Ottawa will make her Olympic debut in Paris at the 2024 Summer Games. Betteridge will compete in Canoe and Kayak Cross in Paris.
Betteridge is a member of the Ottawa River Runners. Betteridge has represented Canada at 10 world championships and two Pan Am Games.
Lois Betteridge, 26, has been named to team Canada for the Paris Olympics in July and will be competing in three canoe/kayak events.
Julie Brousseau
Sport: Swimming
The 18-year-old from Ottawa will make her Olympic debut in Paris. Brousseau will compete in the relays at the Summer Games.
The member of the Nepean-Kanata Barracudas won three medals at the 2023 Pan Am Games, including gold in the women’s 400 metre individual medley. Brosseau won 11 medals at the 2022 Canada Summer Games.
Brousseau will swim at the University of Florida.
Canada’s Julie Brousseau swims to win the gold medal in the women’s 400-meters individual medley at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Gaby Dabrowski
Sport: Tennis
The 32-year-old will appear in her third Olympics at the Summer Games in Paris. Dabrowski finished nine in mixed doubles at Tokyo 2020 and 9th in women’s doubles in Rio 2016.
Dabrowski will compete in women’s doubles with Leylah Fernandez in Paris.
Dabrowski has won the Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles, and the U.S. Open women’s doubles title in 2023.
Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada plays return to Caroline Dolehide of the United States and Desirae Krawczyk of the United States during their semifinal doubles match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 12, 2024. Dabrowski playing partner is Erin Routliffe of New Zealand .(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Natalie Davison
Sport: Canoe-Kayak Spring
The 32-year-old from Ottawa will make her Olympic debut in Paris. Davison will be competing in the women’s K-4 500 metre.
Davison graduated from the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College. She made her debut at the senior ICF Canoe Spring World Championships in 2017.
Davison is a member of the Rideau Canoe Club.
Michael Foley
Sport: Cycling Track
The 25-year-old born in Ottawa will be appearing in his second Olympic Games in Paris. Foley finished fifth in the Team Pursuit at Tokyo 2020.
Foley will lead the men’s team pursuit squad in Paris. He started cycling at the velodrome in Milton in 2015.
Dylan Bibic (58), right, propels teammate Michael Foley, (8) forward as the two Canadians compete in the men’s madison at the UCI Track Nations Cup in Milton, Ont. on Saturday, May 14, 2022. (Peter Power/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Jessica Gaudreault
Sport: water polo
The 30-year-old from Ottawa is making her Olympic debut in Paris with the Canadian women’s water polo team.
Gaudreault started playing water polo at the age of 13. Her international experience included gold medals at the Junior Pan American Championships in 2008 and 2010. Gaudreault was named Most Valuable Goaltender at the 2015 UANA Cup. In 2017, she helped Canada win silver at the FINA World League Super Final.
Gaudreault graduated from Indiana University and coached at the University of Michigan.
Canada’s goalkeeper Jessica Gaudreault blocks a shot during the women’s water polo gold medal match against the United States at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Lauren Gale
Sport: Athletics
The 24-year-old from Ottawa will appear in her second Olympics in Paris. Gale has been selected to represent Canada in the individual 400 metres and 4×400 metre relay at the Paris Olympics.
Gale was named to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team, but did not compete.
Gale started running at the age of 9 and began competing at 12. She ran collegiately for Colorado State University and is a member of the Ottawa Lions T.F.C.
Lauren Gale, centre, wins her heat as she competes in the 400m semifinal at the Canadian Track and Field Olympic trials in Montreal, Friday, June 28, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Derek Gee
Sport: Cycling
The 26-year-old professional cyclist will appear at his second Olympics at Paris 2024. Gee finished fifth in the Team Pursuit-Men in Cycling-Track in Tokyo.
Gee will enter the Olympics coming off a strong showing at the Tour de France, finishing 9th.
Gee won back-to-back national titles in the individual time trial in 2022 and 2023. In 2021, he had placed third in the road race and time trial at the national championships.
He started cycling competitively at age 9, and moved to track cycling at age 13. In 2019. Gee won gold in team pursuit and the omnium at the Pan American Games.
Canada’s Derek Gee speeds to the finish line of the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial over 33.7 kilometers (20.9 miles) with start in Monaco and finish in Nice, France, Sunday, July 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Vanessa Gilles
Sport: women’s soccer
The 28-year-old is appearing in her second Olympics with the Canadian women’s soccer team. Gilles and team Canada won gold at the Tokyo games.
Gilles graduated from Louis-Riel High School Gilles currently plays with Olympique Lyonnais in the Premiere Ligue in France. Gilles made her first appearance with the Canadian national team in 2019. She played collegiately for the University of Cincinnati.
Canada’s Vanessa Gilles reacts at the full-time whistle after losing their Group B soccer match 4-0 against Australia at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, July 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Scott Barbour
Jacqueline Madogo
Sport: Athletics
The 24-year-old was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and calls Ottawa home. Madogo will make her Olympic debut in Paris and is set to participate in the 200 metres, and 4X100 metre relay.
Madogo played soccer with the West Ottawa Soccer Club and track-and-field at Franco-Ouest, before concentrating full-time on Athletics at the University of Guelph. Madogo was a four time First Team All Canadian at the University of Guelph and was a back-to-back U Sports gold medalist in the women’s 60 metres.
Kate Miller
Sport: Diving
The 19-year-old from Ottawa will make her Olympic debut at Paris 2024. Miller will compete in synchro diving with Caeli McKay.
Miller started diving at age 6 and made her debut at the World Aquatics Championships at 18. Miller dives with the Nepean Ottawa Diving Club.
Miller has verbally committed to the University of Southern California.
Kate Miller of Canada competes during the women’s 10m platform final at the World Aquatics Diving World Cup 2024 in Montreal, Sunday, Mar. 3, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Eric Peters
Sport: Archery
The 27-year-old from Ottawa makes his Olympic debut in Paris.
Peters made history with a silver medal in men’s individual recurve at the 2023 World Archery Championship, securing a spot at the Summer Games.
Peters took up archery at the age of 11 and began competing at 13. He won a Youth Olympic Games bronze in 2014.
Eric Peters trains at the Archery Canada range in Cambridge. (CTV News/Tyler Kelaher)
Regan Rathwell
Sport: Swimming
The 20-year-old born in Ottawa and raised in Ashton will be making her Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Paris. Rathwell will swim in the women’s 200-metre backstroke.
Rathwell qualified for the Olympics with a lifetime best swim in the 200 backstroke at the Canadian trials.
The member of the Greater Ottawa Kingfish swims at the University of Tennessee.
Regan Rathwell reacts to her time in the women’s 200m backstroke at the Canadian Olympic Swim Trials in Toronto on Thursday May 16, 2024. (Frank Gunn/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Michael Woods
Sport: Cycling
The 37-year-old from Ottawa is competing in his third Olympic Games. Woods finished fifth in the men’s road race at Tokyo 2020.
Woods began cycling at age 25. He rode into the Canadian history books with a bronze medal at the 2018 UCI World Championship road race. In 2023, he won a stage in the Tour de France.
Canada’s Michael Woods wins the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182.5 kilometers (113.5 miles) with start in Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat and finish in Puy de Dome, France, Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Sam Zakutney
Sport: Gymnastics – Artistic
The 25-year-old from Ottawa is making his Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Paris. Zakutney finished third in the all-around competition at the 2024 Canadian Championship to secure his spot.
Zakutney started gymnastics at age 5, trained at the Ottawa Gymnastics Centre and competed collegiately for Penn State University. He won the Ottawa Sports Award for best artistic gymnast three times.
Eastern Ontario
Aaliyah Edwards
Sport: women’s basketball
The 22-year-old from Kingston, Ont. will appear at her second Olympics with the Canadian women’s basketball team. Edwards and team Canada placed ninth at the Tokyo games.
Edwards was selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics after playing at the University of Connecticut. She was the sixth player in UConn history with 1,800 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Washington Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards (24) goes for a loose ball between Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and forward NaLyssa Smith (1) in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Jennifer Casson
Sport: women’s lightweight double skulls
The 28-year-old from Kingston is appearing in her second Olympics. Carson competed at Tokyo 2020, finishing 12th overall in the lightweight women’s double skulls.
Casson will team up with Jill Moffatt in the women’s lightweight double sculls in Paris.
Casson first started rowing at age 16 while in high school, and rowed collegiately at the University of Tulsa.
Canada’s Jill Moffatt and Jennifer Casson compete in the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing final event during the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Brooke Henderson
Sport: Golf
The 26-year-old from Smiths Falls will be competing in her third Olympic Games in Paris. Henderson finished tied for 7th at Rio 2016 and tied for 29th at Tokyo 2020.
Henderson is Canada’s winningest professional golfer with 13 times on the LPGA Tour, including two major titles.
Henderson started playing golf at the age of 3 and played at the Smiths Falls Golf and Country Club.
Brooke Henderson of Canada hits from the 14th hole during the Evian Championship women’s golf tournament in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
Amy Millar
Sport: Equestrian
The 47-year-old from Perth, Ont. will be competing in her second Summer Games in Paris. Millar will compete with horse Truman at the Olympics.
Millar placed sixth individually at her first Pan American Games in 2023. Millar and Canada placed fourth in Team-Mixed at Rio 2016.
Millar is the daughter of Olympian and Canadian legend Ian Millar.
Canada’s Amy Millar rides Heros, during the Grand Prix event of the National at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Jeff McIntosh/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Kristina Walker
Sport: women’s eight rowing
The 28-year-old from Wolfe Island is appearing in her second Olympics. Walker finished in 10th in the coxless four-women at Tokyo 2020.
Walker is a member of the Canadian women’s eights competing in Paris.
Walker started rowing as a freshman at the University of British Columbia in 2014. She raced in both the women’s four and the women’s eight at the 2023 Rowing World Cup II in Italy, winning a bronze medal in the eight. Walker and the women’s eight won gold at the 2024 World Cup II in Lucerne.
Western Quebec
Ariane Bonhomme
Sport: Cycling-Track
The 29-year-old from Gatineau, Que. is appearing in her second Olympic Games. Bonhomme finished fourth in Team Pursuit-Women at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.
Bonhomme represented Canada at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games where she competed in both track cycling and road cycling. She won bronze with the team pursuit at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Bonhomme is a member of the Ottawa Bicycle Club. She started road cycling at 12, and cycled in a velodrome at 16.
Canadian teammates Ariane Bonhomme and Lily Plante compete in the the madison race during the UCI Track Nations Cup in Milton, Ont., Saturday, April 13, 2024. (Nick Iwanyshyn/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Nick Hoag
Sport: men’s volleyball
The 31-year-old born in Gatineau, Que. is appearing in his third Olympic games with the Canadian men’s volleyball team. Hoag and team Canada placed 5th at Rio 2016 and 8th in Tokyo 2020.
Hoag was the youngest member of the Canadian men’s volleyball team when he made his Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio. Hoag’s father Glenn was part of the team that finished fourth at the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 1984.
Sophia Jensen
Sport: Canoe-Kayak Spring
The 22-year-old from Chelsea, Que. will make her Olympic debut in Paris. Jensen will compete in the individual 200-metre Canoe Spring event.
Jensen won bronze in the C-1 200 metre event at the 2023 Pan Am Games. Jensen started training in canoe at the age of 12 and began competing at 13.
Audrey Leduc
Sport: Athletics
The 25-year-old from Gatineau, Que. is making her Olympic debut in Paris. She will compete in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4X100 metres relay at the Summer Games.
Leduc broke the Canadian record in the 100 metres and 200 metres this spring.
She runs with the Gatineau Track Club.
Audrey Leduc wins her heat as she competes in the 100m semifinal at the Canadian Track and Field Olympic trials in Montreal, Friday, June 28, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/THE CANADIAN PRESS)