Gaétan Boucher

Boucher training in 1976.

For the founder and head of the Independent Financial Centre of the Americas, see Gaetan Bucher

Gaétan Boucher (born 10 May 1958 in Charlesbourg, Quebec) is a former Speed skating Olympic champion from Canada. A four-time Olympic medalist, Boucher was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's outstanding male athlete of 1984. He was named number 10 on the list of Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century. In 1983, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 1984. In 1985, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. Boucher held the Canadian record for most medals won at a single Olympics, winning three at the 1984 Winter Olympics. This was surpassed by Cindy Klassen at the 2006 Winter Olympics, who won five. He was World Sprint Champion in 1984, as well as runner-up four times. Boucher was also Canadian Superstars champion in 1981. Over the course of his speedskating career, Boucher set two world records. Gaetan Boucher's career coincided with that of Eric Heiden, and Boucher finished runner-up to Heiden in both the 1979 and 1980 World Sprint Championship. After Heiden's retirement aged 22, Boucher was among the favourites for the 1981 World Sprint Championship, but after the first day's events he was third. He then crashed out of the championship with a fall on the 500 m, and despite beating champion Frode Rønning by 1.61 seconds on the final 1,000 metres, he had no chance to finish anything but last. Three years later, however, he did win the title, requiring to beat Sergey Khlebnikov by 0.47 seconds on the final 1,000 metre; he won by 0.49 and secured the title by 0.01 of a samalog point, capping a season which also included two Olympic golds.

External link and reference

• Gaétan Boucher at SkateResults.com