Quebec Olympic Athletes: Marc-André Bédard

This year the Winter Olympics are located in Vancouver, Canada. The Winter Olympics occur every 4 years.

The male Olympic athlete that I chose is Marc-Andre Bédard. He was born in Beauport, Quebec on February 19th, 1986. He is 23 years old and will celebrate his 24th birthday on February 19th during the 2010 Winter Olympics. He lives in Valcariter, Quebec, Canada.

Marc-Andre’s sport is the biathlon which he began at the age of 14 years old. An athlete that does biathlon is called a biathlete. He started to do biathlon when he was 14 years old. He has a role model which is Myriam Bédard. Myriam is a 1994 Olympic gold medalist. In 2004, Marc-André competed in his first relay event which was in a European race. Later, in 2006, it was his first individual race. Then, in 2008, he won in first place in a sprint event of the European Cup race.

The sport biathlon is combined with cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Unlike alpine skiing, which is downhill, cross-country skiing is done across snow-covered terrain. It is more-so-done on flatter surfaces. Instead of taking the chairlift or what-so-ever to get to the top of the hill, you have to move up your body using your body, skis and ski poles. The biathlon involves endurance and speed. Rifle shooting is where the participant uses a firearm which is designed to be fired from the shoulder. Rifle shooting involves precision. In the biathlon, the athlete must do a certain distance in cross-country skiing in the least amount of time. Then, the athlete will shoot at targets, hitting the target in the middle, as many as possible to avoid time penalties. I didn’t try the sport biathlon yet because I am to young to hold a gun (I am 10 years old).

Why I chose Marc-André Bédard:

a) I chose him because in winter 2010, I started cross-country skiing with my dad. I received my equipment as a Christmas present. I enjoy this sport, but it takes alot of my energy! Sometimes we go during the day, and sometimes, we go in the evening as it is getting dark. My dad also knows about rifle shooting because he goes hunting.

b) I find it nice that they invented a sport like the biathlon because it combines two sports in one. Someone who likes cross-country skiing and rifle shooting can now practice and compete in the sport biathlon.

c) Marc-André lives in a neighbouring city of my uncle, aunt and my cousins; Val Bélair.

Quebec Olympic Athletes | Vancouver 2010 | Index

Jasey-Jay Anderson

Marc-André Bédard

Patrice Bergeron

Martin Pierre Brodeur

Caroline Calvé

Roberto Luongo

Dominique Maltais (1)

Dominique Maltais (2)

Valérie Maltais

Vincent Marquis

Joannie Rochette

Kim St-Pierre

Catherine Ward

Quebec Olympic Athletes: Martin Pierre Brodeur | Vancouver 2010

Martin Pierre Brodeur was born on May 6th, 1972. He is a Canadian ice hockey goalie and is quite a bit athlete at 6 feet 2 inches and 216 pounds. Being a goalie must have been in his blood because his father was also a goalie; Denis Brodeur.

Hockey is really cool because you can express yourself in skating and shooting pucks. Because sometimes I get a bit mad but when I do hockey everything that is mad gets out.

Sometimes I go with my Dad in the morning in the arena beside my school and I could shoot pucks with my friends and my dad. The rink is outside and its a bit old The ice is not like in the inside arena but it is still fun playing with my family. It’s different because the ice has a lot more bumps and it’s smaller than a real one.

I’m in a hockey team called the Jaguars of Candiac and at the beginning of the year we didn’t have a good season but after the tournament we became second place and we’re going to become first place ( hope) !!! I play left defense – not a goalie like Brodeur.

As O.P, (another student) said, Brodeur has played his entire national Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. He got drafted in 1990 and is at his nineteenth year with the team. Brodeur is so good that the general manager has never wanted to exchange him for another goalie. He has led his team to three Stanley Cup victories.

Like his father, Brodeur has also represented Canada at the Olympics. Denis Brodeur was at the 1956 Winter Olympics and won a bronze medal. Martin is heading to the Olympics for a fourth time to play for Team Canada in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics

His first presence was as a backup for Patrick Roy in 1998 in Nagano. He did not get to play however as he was there as replacement.

The second time Brodeur went to the Olympics was in 2002 at the Salt Lake City games where he led his team to the podium. He was the best goalie in the whole tournament . In the final match he stopped 31 of the 33 shots in the victory over team USA which won them gold medal.

His third presence was in 2006 in Turin Italy. he played in four of the six games but they lost against Russia in quarterfinals. I hope that team Canada will be as successful as in 2002 bringing back the gold medal.

Brodeur has also had many victories in other championships. In 2004, he led team Canada to the World Cup Hockey Championship. In five games the other teams were only able to put five goals against him.

He has also distinguished himself by winning many prizes such as the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1994, two NHL All-Star Team Trophies, the World’ Stars Challenge Bowl and many many other medals and trophies.

What I like about Martin is the fact that he has his own personal style. Most goalies use the same butterfly position but Martin stands up more setting down only a knee. He is also good at puck handling and even made a goal during a match where the other goalie had been remove in order to have more offense players on the ice. He is the first goalie ever to have done that. What a great athlete!

by: J.V., 11 yrs. old