Winnipeg Free Press

Nominated by: Brian Abs

Why Cindy Klassen should be a Great Manitoban:

Claim to fame: Canada's most decorated Olympian, speedskater

Manitoba dosage: 4

Fast Facts: Won two bronze, two silver and one gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics, the only Canadian to ever win five medals in a single Games...With the bronze she won at the 2002 Winter Olympics, that makes her the only Canadian with six Olympic medals...Formerly a national calibre hockey player, she's played for Team Manitoba and Canada's national junior team.

13 Comments

• Probably Manitoba's greatest female athlete, Cindy is a worthy candidate for the Greatest Manitoban.

  Posted by: John Goshulak | 2008-05-31 22:30:17

• I think she has shown young & old that if you follow your dreams, they will come true as well as being such a great athlete...showing young people that sports can be fun as well as rewarding. (Also, I have the same name as her, which at times as proven to be comical when asked my name)

  Posted by: Cindy Klassen | 2008-06-06 15:57:30

• how many races did she win? if skating in circles makes someone great, we are a sad province.

  Posted by: gary | 2008-06-13 15:16:22

• Manitoba's pride & joy. I doubt anyone else will ever surpass her acomplishments.

  Posted by: L. Gilroy | 2008-06-22 17:17:51

• Cindy is truly a great person plus a fantastic athlete. She is an ideal role model for our young people.

  Posted by: Art Lopuck | 2008-06-24 14:28:56

• Besides being a great skater Cindy has shown a great attitude which is worth following as an example.

  Posted by: Ruth Neufeld | 2008-07-01 04:25:11

• It is true that she is a very accomplished athlete and a good role model. However, I can not understand how the people of Manitoba can place this achievement over those of Manitobans whose efforts saved the lives of thousands, or some of the philanthropists who support and shape this province.

  Posted by: Kaitlin | 2008-07-08 04:59:06

• Cindy has accomplished much at a very young age. Her accomplishments were gained through her own efforts. She has not allowed her success to change her attitude or faith. Just think of the possibilities her future holds.

  Posted by: Delores | 2008-07-08 15:47:30

• Please ensure that you have the correct information before making comments such as "I doubt anyone else will ever surpass her acomplishments." Kirby Cote is a blind paralympic swimmer who has been in attendance at the paralympics in Sydney as well as Athens. She is currently training for Bejing. In Sydney, she won 5 medals, one gold and 4 silver at the age of 16. In 2004 in Athens she won seven medals, 5 gold and 2 silver. By my count, that surpasses Cindy Klassen. Are paralympians not faced with more challenges than able-bodied athletes? I believe they do not receive anywhere near the same amount of recognition, otherwise Kirby Cote would be a common Manitoba household name as she is from Winnipeg, and it would be common knowledge that she has won twelve medals. Please give all Manitoban athletes the recognition they deserve, and learn a little more about Special Olympic athletes and paralympians.

  Posted by: Tonia | 2008-07-08 19:07:12

• You can't give someone who only won one gold medal at the Olympics the Greatest Manitoban award. If she won 3 or 5 gold medals...

  Posted by: Nina Spence | 2008-07-12 21:47:01

• Gee Nina, don"t you think you are being a bit harsh. First of all, you are mistaken. You can give the greatest manitoban to Cindy even though she has only one but not three gold medals (which you say is what is required to win). There is nothing in the rules about how many Olympic medals one must win in order to be named Greatest Manitoban. In fact, how many olympic medals have the other candidates won? None. I guess we should disqualify them all. Klassen became the first Canadian to win five medals in one Olympic Games. With this achievement, she tied American Eric Heiden's record of five medals won at an Olympics (1980) by a speedskater. You have to admit, that is pretty impressive. But that is beside the point. She is being put forward for consideration not just for her athletic prowess, but for her work as a role model and a fine ambassador for the province. She has accomplished much but remains humble. I think she belongs on this list.

  Posted by: David Anderson | 2008-07-15 01:21:06

• Sure, David, She belongs on this list... but NOT in the top 10. The fact that she is in there shows how dependent this province is on the media. They are voting for the one they see most often. I wonder if anyone even bothered to read about the other nominees. I can only hope that they didn't, and that the accomplishment that this province appreciates the most is not winning sporting events.

  Posted by: Kaity | 2008-07-19 15:46:02

• Come on. Greatest Manitoban? Sure we are proud of her but there are alot of candidates that deserve the title more. GO NELLIE MCCLUNG!

  Posted by: Jennifer A | 2008-08-21 20:08:07

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