Canada’s sporting achievements are often dwarfed by their southern neighbour, the US, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some top athletes to make their statement on the world stage.
Canada is probably best known for Ice Hockey and the Winter Olympics but the North American nation has also produced stars in other sports.
We’ve compiled a list of the five greatest sports start to have emerged from Canada.
5) Mike Weir
Weir was one of the trailblazers for Canadian golf when he shot to prominence in the early 2000s. Hailing from Ontario, Weir spent over 110 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 2001 and 2005.
He became the first Canadian to win The Masters, beating American Len Mattiace in a play-off to land the Green Jacket at Augusta in 2003.
The 51-year-old still remains the only man from his nation to win a major, although he spends his time now on the PGA Champions Tour and was last seen when finishing tied for 21st at the Hoag Classic at the beginning of March.
4) Clara Hughes
Hughes was an extremely talented athlete and she can proudly boast gold medals from the Summer and Winter Olympics.
She is one of just six people to have secured podium finishes at both versions of the Games and is the only person to have won multiple medals in both.
The Winnipeg-born star was the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in road cycling, winning double bronze in 1996.
However, Hughes was primarily a speed skater and claimed four medals, including one gold, at the Winter Games between 2002 and 2010.
3) Georges St-Pierre
Former UFC star Georges St-Pierre is regarded as one of the greatest to ever step into the octagon.
‘Rush’ was a two-division champion, winning titles at welterweight and middleweight and he was named Canadian Athlete of the Year in 2008. 2009 and 2010.
St-Pierre retired in 2013 as the welterweight champion and held the record for most wins in title bouts, while he had the second longest combined title streak (2,204 days).
He did return to the octagon in 2017 to beat Michael Bisping for the middleweight belt at UFC 217, becoming the fourth fighter in the history of the UFC to be a multi-division champion.
2) Andre De Grasse
Canada has produced some top sprinters over the years with Donovan Bailey and Percy Williams both winning two medals apiece in a single Olympic Games.
But Andre De Grasse has far surpassed their achievements and is undoubtedly one of the most successful athletes to come out of the country.
De Grasse is a six-time Olympic medallist and the reigning Olympic champion in the 200m.
His first appearance at the Games came in 2016 when he claimed silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m and 4x100m relay.
He added a further three medals, one gold, one silver and one bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
1) Wayne Gretzky
Ice Hockey is the most popular sport in Canada, therefore, it’s no surprise that the nation’s greatest athlete was extremely handy with a stick and puck.
Wayne Gretzky spent 20 seasons playing in the NHL between 1979 and 1999 and, despite being retired over 20 years, he still holds just about every offensive record going.
Inducted into the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, Gretzky played for Indianapolis Racers, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St, Louis Blues and New York Rangers.
The NHL also retired his jersey number 99 league-wide, making him the only player to receive such an honour.
He won the Stanley Cup on four occasions and was named the All Star-Game MVP three times.
