Cindy Klassen is a Canadian Olympic star. At the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Cindy, a Winnipeg native who lives in Calgary, became the first Canadian to win five medals at a single Winter Olympics. She won Gold in the 1500m, Silver in the 1000m, Silver in the Team Pursuit, Bronze in the 5000m and Bronze in the 3000m.
Cindy also captured an Olympic Bronze medal in 2002 making her one of the most decorated Canadian Olympic athletes in history, with a total of six Olympic medals.
Building on the momentum of her 2002 Olympic success, Cindy put together one of the finest seasons ever by a Canadian athlete on the World Cup speed skating circuit. She became the first Canadian in 27 years to win the overall title at the 2003 World Allround Speed Skating Championships. A month earlier, she finished second overall at the World Sprint Championships – despite not being considered a speed skating “sprinter”. It was the first time in 15 years a skater had won overall medals at both events in the same year. Cindy capped off a remarkable year by clinching the 1500m World Cup Title.
In 2005 after a comeback from a serious injury, Cindy was again on top of the podium. For a second time, she won the 1500m World Cup Title and became a double Gold medallist at the World Championships winning both the 1500m and 3000m events.
In 2006 after a sensational Olympics, Cindy went on to capture the Overall World Cup Title in the 3000m distance and won the World Allround Championships with a golden sweep of all four distances. Cindy’s accomplishments earned her the 2006 Lou Marsh Award as Canadian Athlete of the Year.
Before Cindy was hooked on speed skating, she showed promise in many sports. She competed for Canada in In-line Skating at the 1999 PanAm Games and before that was a member of Canada’s National Junior Women’s Hockey Team in 1996. As a 15 year old, Cindy competed for Canada at the 1994 Commonwealth Games as a member of the women’s Field Lacrosse Team. Cindy was a Member of Team Manitoba at three Canada Games (1995 women’s hockey, 1999 speed skating, 2001 cycling)
As a six-time Olympic medallist and four-time World Champion, the Canadian Mint featured Cindy on a quarter as part of their 2010 Olympic Memories edition. She held the world record in the 3000m for 13 years. Cindy is a 2017 inductee into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
