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Olympics

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio Olympics

Our fierce crew of female athletes includes a 16-year-old swimmer, stellar rugby and basketball teams, and four divers who are also BFFs.
20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio Olympics

Olympians 2016

Kia Nurse

Hometown: Hamilton, Ont.

Sport: Basketball

Why we're watching: As the lead scorer at the Pan Am Games last year, where Canada won gold, 20-year-old guard Kia Nurse is poised to lead her team to the podium once more. Sport runs through her blood: Nurse's brother plays for the Edmonton Oilers, her dad was a wide receiver in the CFL and both her mom and sister played university basketball.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Moe Doiron/The Globe and Mail.

Christine Sinclair

Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.

Sport: Soccer

Why we're watching: Before the opening ceremonies, Christine Sinclair has already helped make history in Rio. The Canadian team captain assisted a goal only 20 seconds into a match against Australia on Wednesday, the fastest ever in an Olympic game, according to FIFA. Even rival Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the U.S., has admitted Sinclair is "the best player in the world."

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Mauro Horita/REX/Shutterstock.

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Rosie MacLennan

Hometown: King City, Ont.

Sport: Trampoline

Why we're watching: MacLennan was the only Canadian to bring home gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics. This time, she's also Canada’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremonies.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press

Brooke Henderson

Hometown: Smith Falls, Ont.

Sport: Golf

Why we're watching: The 18-year-old made history this summer when she became the first Canadian woman in 48 years to win the International Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) major.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Damon Tarver/The Canadian Press.

Catharine Pendrel

Hometown: Kamloops, B.C.

Sport: Mountain biking

Why we're watching: After recovering from a broken collarbone, Pendrel won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and silver at the Pan Am Games last year.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA.

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Kirsten Sweetland

Sport: Triathlon

Hometown: Victoria, B.C.

Why we're watching: Sweetland, the first Canadian woman to win the world junior title and a 10-year veteran, is making a comeback after battling multiple bacterial infections, which kept her on antibiotics for 15 months. 

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press.

Pamela Ware, Jennifer Abel, Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Fillion (with teammates Philippe Gagne and Vincent Riendeau)

Hometowns: All hail from Laval, Que. except for Ware, who is from Greenfield Park, Que.

Sport: Diving

Why we're watching: The powerhouse quartet have won a combined 86 medals since the last Summer Olympic Games. They make up four out of the six divers headed to Rio for Canada and are some of our top medal hopefuls. They're also BFFs outside the pool.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press.

Mandy Bujold

Sport: Boxing

Hometown: Kitchener, Ont.

Why we're watching: It may be Bujold’s first time at the Olympics, but she's been boxing since she was 10, when her big brother came home with two pairs of gloves and a punching bag. She won a gold at the Pan Am Games last year and a bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press.

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Lanni Marchant

Hometown: London, Ont.

Sport: 10,000 metres and marathon

Why we're watching: The 32-year-old fought to compete in both the 10,000-metre and marathon events in Rio. She currently holds the Canadian record for both the marathon and half-marathon.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press.

Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley

Hometowns: Kitchener and Waterdown, Ont. (respectively)

Sport: Beach volleyball

Why we're watching: Beach volleyball is sure to be one of the most popular events in Rio since it's a national sport. This duo, currently ranked fifth in the world, will be competing to place Canada on the podium for the first time in the women's event.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, The Canadian Press.

Jasmine Mian

Hometown: Barrie, Ont.

Sport: Wrestling

Why we're watching: Mian's high-school flag-football coach thought her small size (she's just 5'1") and speed would be ideal for the school's wrestling team. He was right. Mian won gold at the World University Championships and bronze at the Commonwealth Games.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Canadian Olympic Committee.

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Dorothy Yeats

Hometown: Montreal

Sport: Wrestling

Why we're watching: Yeats is the daughter of five-time Olympic wrestler Doug Yeats. She holds her own, having won gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Pan Am Games.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Alastair Grant/AP.

Penny Oleksiak

Hometown: Toronto

Sport: Swimming

Why we're watching: At 16, the 6'1" swimmer is the youngest Canadian Olympian. She dominated the FINA World Junior Championships last year, bringing home six medals.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Chris Young/The Canadian Press.

Jen Kish

Hometown: Edmonton

Sport: Rugby Sevens

Why we're watching: Rugby Sevens is making its Olympic debut in Rio, so it will be a popular event. Kish, the captain of Canada's team, led her team to a silver at the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2013 and gold at the Pan Am Games last year.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press.

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Ellie Black

Hometown: Halifax

Sport: Gymnastics

Why we're watching: Black was part of the team that helped Canada reach its best-ever result in London, and went on to become a top-performer at the 2015 Pan Am Games, with five medals.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press.

Brianne Theisen-Eaton

Hometown: Humboldt, Sask.

Sport: Heptathlon

Why we're watching: Theisen-Eaton has made huge strides since London 2012, with two bronzes in long jump at the Pan Am Games and a gold in pentathlon this year at the IAAF World Championships. Fun fact: She's married to Ashton Eaton, the decorated American decathlete.

20 Canadian women to watch at the Rio OlympicsPhoto, Peter Rinderer/The Canadian Press.

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