Pierre Harvey

Biography

Pierre Harvey’s contributions to Canadian sport, were felt at both the summer and winter Olympic Games. As a cyclist, Harvey competed in his first Olympic Summer Games at Montreal 1976 where he raced in the men’s individual road race. At the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan, Harvey and his teammates won a bronze medal in the team time trial.

In the off-season, Harvey took up cross-country skiing as a form of winter training but quickly found success in the sport, becoming one of Canada’s most versatile athletes. At Sarajevo 1984 he competed in men’s 15km, 30km, and 50km cross-country skiing events. Just a few months later he was back on his bike at Los Angeles 1984, competing in both the men’s individual road race and the men’s 100km team time trial.

His list of accomplishments increased when he began to focus more on cross-country skiing. This includes being the first cross-country skier to win four gold medals at the Canadian National Championships in 1986. In March 1987, as he made history as the first Canadian gold medalist of a World Cup cross-country skiing race. He would earn three more World Cup podiums before his retirement in 1989.

In his final Olympic Winter Games at Calgary 1988 he recited the Athletes’ Oath at the Opening Ceremony. In 2006, Harvey was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and in 2014 he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.