The class of 2010
By Blaine Meller
Jacques Villeneuve: A two-time winner of the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s top athlete, Villeneuve is only the third driver to win the IndyCar Championships, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championships. He is the only Canadian to have won the Indianapolis 500 and F1 Drivers’ title.
Kyle Shewfelt: Captured Canada’s first gold medal in gymnastics, capturing the floor exercise title at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He also competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after battling back from two broken tibias while training the year previous.
Patrick Roy: The former NHL goaltender won Stanley Cup Championships with both the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche. He
retired with a stellar 2.55 goals against average and 66 career shutouts, and was the NHL’s only three-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoffs’ most valuable player.
Chantal Petitclerc: The wheelchair racer captured 10 consecutive gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games, sweeping the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m events. In total, Petitclerc has captured 14 gold, five silver and two bronze medals at the Olympics dating back to the 1992 Games in Barcelona. She also captured the Lou Marsh award in 2008.
Clara Hughes: Has captured medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympics. An 18-time Canadian cycling champion, Hughes has competed and claimed six Olympic medals in cycling and speed skating; four bronze, one silver and one gold.
Jean-Luc Brassard: During his 12-year career, Brassard captured 20 World Cup gold medals, two World Cup moguls titles and two overall world
titles. He captured Olympic gold at the 1994 Lillehammer Games in moguls, the sports’ debut as a medal event.
Dr. Roger Jackson: This will be Jackson’s second invitation to the hall, the first coming as an athlete after he and sculling mate George Hungerford captured Canada’s only gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Jackson has also served as director of Sport Canada, president of the Canadian Olympic Association, dean of the faculty of kinesiology at the University of Calgary and architect of Own the Podium.
Bob Ackles: Started as a water boy with the B.C. Lions in 1953. Working his way up the corporate ladder, Ackles would go on to win two Grey Cups while serving as general manager of the Lions in 1985 and 2006. He also spent six years with the Dallas Cowboys before returning to the Lions in 2002. Ackles passed away suddenly in 2008. Source: www.sportshall.ca
