Saskatoon’s Catriona LeMay Doan has been a force in women’s speed skating ever since she took up the sport at age nine. She joined the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club in 1980 and was soon showing signs of greatness in this sport winning the city championship and ultimately the Canadian bantam championship in her first year of competition. By 1986, Catriona had captured Canadian championships in midget (1983), juvenile (1985) and junior (1986). She competed in the Canada Games in 1983 and 1987 collecting a silver in the 400 metres and a bronze in the 800 metres in the 1987 games. In 1988, she joined the Canadian National Team and began training in Calgary.
From 1991 to 1997, Catriona slowly made her way up the ranking in the world speed skating community. Things really came together for “Cat” in 1998 when she was the gold medallist in 500 metres and bronze in the 1,000 metres at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games. She followed this up with the 1998 World Single Distance Championship first place in the 500 metres and second place in the 1,000 metres. As well, she was first in both of these events in the World Cup standings. She continued to dominate these distances for the next four years capping it off with a world record in the 500 metres and another Olympic gold medal and an Olympic record in the 500 metres in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
This made this four-time Olympian a back-to-back gold medallist in the 500 metres at the Nagano and Salt Lake City Winter Olympics – the first Canadian to defend a gold medal at any Olympic Games. One memory that is etched into the brains of Saskatchewan sports fans is the image of Catriona doing her victory laps at Nagano and Salt Lake City carrying both the Canadian and Saskatchewan flags.
Catriona has garnered many other significant titles including four World Sprint Championships at 500 metres (1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002). As well, she captured 25 gold medals, 7 silver, and one bronze in World Cup races.
Along the way, she was selected as Canada’s Outstanding Female Athlete in 1998, 2001 and 2002. Doan was also named as winner of the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s Outstanding Athlete in 2002. She also carried Canada’s flag into the opening ceremonies at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games after being named to carry the Canadian flag at the closing of the 1998 Nagano Games.
Along the way, she has received honourary degrees from the University of Calgary in 2002 and the University of Saskatchewan in 2003. Catriona has had an amazing career in world speed skating events going back to 1996. Here are just a few of her accomplishments during that time:
1996 World Sprint Championships, 500m, – Netherlands Gold
1997 World Cup, 500m – Austria Bronze
1997 World Sprint Championships, 500m – Norway Silver
1996/97 Canadian Sprint Championships – Gold
1997 World Cup, 1 000m – Calgary Silver
1997 World Cup, 1 000m – Calgary Gold
1997 World Cup, 500m – Calgary Gold
1997 World Cup, 500m – Calgary Gold
1997 World Cup, 1 000m – Minnesota Gold
1997 World Cup, 500m – Minnesota Silver
1997 World Cup, 500m – Minnesota Gold
1998 World Cup, 1 000m – Italy Silver
1998 World Cup, 500m – Italy Gold
1998 World Cup, 500m – Italy Gold
1998 World Sprint Championship – Germany, World Champion
1998 Canadian Olympic Trials, 500m – World Record (37.55)
1997/98 World Cup Standings – First Overall
1998 World Cup, 500m – Wisconsin Gold
1998 World Cup, 500m – Wisconsin Gold
1998 World Single Distance Championships, 1 000m – Calgary Silver
1998 World Single Distance Championships, 500m – Calgary Gold
1998 World Cup Standings, 1 000m – First Overall
1998 World Cup Standings, 500m – First Overall
1998 Canadian Female Athlete of the Year
1998 Winter Olympic Games, 500m – Olympic Record (38.21)
1998 Winter Olympic Games, 1 000m – Nagano Bronze
1998 Winter Olympic Games, 500m – Nagano Gold
1998/99 World Cup, 1 000m – Japan Gold
1998/99 World Cup, 500m – Japan Gold
1998/99 World Cup, 500m – Korea Gold
1999 World Sprint Championships, 500m – Calgary, World Champion
1999 World Cup Standings, 1 000m – Third Overall
1999 World Cup Standings, 500m – First Overall
1999 World Single Distance Championships, 1 000m – Netherlands Bronze
1999 World Single Distance Championships, 500m – Netherlands Gold
2000 Canadian Sprint Championships – First Overall
2000 World Cup, 1 000m – Montana Silver
2000 World Cup, 500m – Montana Silver
2000 World Cup, 500m – Calgary Silver
2000 World Single Distance Championships, 500m – Japan Bronze
2000/01 World Cup, 500m – Korea Gold
2000/01 World Cup, 500m – Japan Gold
2001 World Cup, 500m – Finland Gold
2001 World Cup, 1 000m – Holland Gold
2001 World Cup, 500m – Holland Gold
2001 World Cup, 500m – Calgary Gold
2001 World Cup, 1 000m – Calgary Gold
2001 Canadian Sprint Championships – First Overall
2001 World Sprint Championships, 500m – Germany, World Champion
2001 World Single Distance Championships, 1 000m – Utah Bronze
2001 World Single Distance Championships, 500m – Utah Gold
2001 Canadian National Championships – Overall Points, World Record
2001 Canadian National Championships, 500m – World Record (37.29)
2001 Canadian Female Athlete of the Year
2001/02 World Cup, 500m – Utah Gold
2001/02 World Cup, 1 000m – Calgary Silver
2001/02 World Cup, 500m – Calgary Gold
2002 World Cup, 500m – Holland Gold
2002 World Cup, 1 000m – Germany Gold
2002 World Cup, 500m – Germany Gold
2002 World Cup Standings, 500m – First Overall
2001/02 World Cup, 500m – Calgary World Record (37.22)
2002 Canadian Female Athlete of the Year
2002 Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year
2002 World Sprint Championships, 500m – Norway World Champion
2002 Winter Olympic Games, 500m – Utah Olympic Record (37.30)
2002 Winter Olympic Games, 500m – Utah Gold
