Melanie McCann

Biography

Melanie McCann made her Olympic debut at London 2012 where she finished 11^th for the best-ever Olympic result by a Canadian modern pentathlete. At Rio 2016 she sat in third place heading into the combined event, finishing 16th overall. McCann has been hooked on modern pentathlon since winning her first national level competition in 2004. She made her international debut at the NORCECA Championships in March 2007 and competed at the UIPM World Junior Championships that September. Since making her World Cup debut in 2009, McCann has shown steady improvement. She posted her first top-10 result on the circuit in April 2012, finishing ninth in Szazhalombatta, Hungary, before going on to finish seventh at the World Cup Final in May. That gave her great momentum heading into London 2012, a berth she had earned with her near-podium finish at the 2011 Pan American Games. McCann produced more career highlights in 2014 when she finished in the top-five for the first time at a World Cup and added a career-high 17^th place finish at the UIPM World Championships. She continued this success in 2015 with a 10^th place finish at the World Cup Final and a fifth place finish at the Pan American Games in Toronto. She started 2016 with a seventh place finish at the first World Cup of the year in Cairo and finished fourth at the Pan American Championships.

Getting to know…

Family: Brian and Jayne McCann… Older brother Blair… Younger sisters Lisa and Josie… Getting into the Sport: At age 6 told her grandmother she would be an Olympian one day… Started competing in modern pentathlon at age 16, drawn to the five different sports and the opportunity to travel… Was already a swimmer and on her school track team… Outside Interests: Studying at Carleton University… Graduated from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2010 (Civil Engineer Technologist)… Affiliated with Right to Play and i2P (Impossible 2 Possible)… Works as a fitness supervisor and since age 15 has been a heavy equipment operator for her father’s construction business… Odds and Ends: Favourite quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind” -Dr. Seuss… On each trip, brings her own snacks for the airplane and oatmeal for pre-competition breakfast… Collects things for her scrapbook while travelling… Nicknames: Mel, Melvin…