Rio de Janeiro – British Columbia is sending 142 athletes with a connection to B.C., making up 45% of Team Canada, to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
These local athletes, who have been living and training in B.C., will take part in 18 sports with the majority competing in athletics, rowing and swimming.
Of the 142 athletes, 68 of them have a hometown in British Columbia and 128 are training in B.C. or receiving support services from either Canadian Sport Institute (CSI) Pacific or PacificSport centres.
The B.C. contingent in Brazil will also include 23 coaches, 12 CSI Pacific sport scientists and 11 medical practitioners with a connection to the province.
Since 2001, the Government of British Columbia has invested more than $1 billion in sport. This support includes funding for B.C.’s provincial sport organizations that are instrumental in providing training and development for athletes and coaches on the high-performance pathway as they progress from provincial competitions to national development programs and national teams.
The Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games take place Aug. 5-21, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
