NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Myriam Bédard

Myriam Bédard (born December 22, 1969) is a Canadian biathlete (ret), winner of two Olympic gold medals. Born in Neufchatel, Québec, Bédard learned marksmanship as a cadet in the Canadian Forces which she joined at the age of 14, and participated in her first biathlon event at age 15. She became Canadian junior champion in the sport in 1987. December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Canada is a sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. ... The name biathlon is used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines, but usually the winter sport which combines cross_country skiing and rifle shooting is meant. ... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ... This article describes the Canadian province. ... Canadian Forces Flag The Canadian Armed Forces (Fr. ...

In 1991, Bédard was the first Canadian to win a biathlon World Cup event, and she formed part of the Canadian team at the 1992 Winter Olympics, in Albertville, France – the first time women competed in biathlon at the Olympics – and Bédard won a bronze medal in the 15 km. The following year she won her first major title, as she won the 7.5 km event at the World Championships, also placing second in the 15 km race. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, she improved this performance, and won both individual events. She was also awarded the Lou Marsh Award in 1994 for top performance by a Canadian athlete. Image from: http://www. ... The XVI Olympic Winter Games were held in 1992 in France. ... Categories: France geography stubs | Host cities of the Winter Olympic Games | Cities, towns and villages in France ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... The XVII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. ... Lillehammer is a town and municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway. ... Norway - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Lou Marsh Trophy is awarded annually by a panel of journalists in recognition of Canadas top athlete. ...

She briefly retired from the sport to give birth to her daughter (the father was another biathlete, Jean Paquet). Her comeback was not very successful, being hampered by injuries. After the 1998 Winter Olympics, Bédard retired from biathlon. She later announced an attempt to make the Canadian Olympic team as a speed skater, but did not pursue this goal for long. Currently, Myriam Bédard is one of eight persons (and the only woman) in the International Biathlon Union's executive board, where she serves as the IBU's Vice President responsible for Special Issues. The XVIII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1998 in Japan. ... Gaetan Boucher training for the 1976 Olympics Speed skating (as well Speedskating) is a form of ice skating in which the competitors attempt to travel a certain distance over the ice as quickly as possible. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On February 27, 2004, in the context of the sponsorship scandal that came to light soon after Jean Chrétien left office, Myriam Bédard publicly disclosed that she had been pushed from her marketing department job at Via Rail in 2002 shortly after raising concerns about the company's dealings with advertiser Groupaction. This led to the firings a few days later of Via Rail chairperson Jean Pelletier and president Marc LeFrançois. February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The sponsorship scandal is an ongoing scandal that has affected the government of Canada, and particularly the ruling Liberal Party of Canada for a number of years, but rose to especially great prominence in 2004. ... The Right Honourable Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien, PC (born January 11, 1934) was the twentieth Prime Minister of Canada, serving from November 4, 1993, to December 12, 2003. ... VIA Rail Canada (also referred to as VIA Rail and VIA; pronounced vee-ah) is an independent Crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Groupaction Inc. ... Jean Pelletier (born February 21, 1935 in Chicoutimi, Quebec) is a Canadian political operative and former head of VIA Rail. ...

However, in testimony in late March 2004, Bédard made further allegations that were met with widespread skepticism: she claimed that she had been told that GroupAction was involved in drug trafficking, that her partner had personally convinced then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to keep Canada out of the war in Iraq, and that Quebecois race car legend Jacques Villeneuve had been paid $12 million to wear a Canadian flag on his uniform. Villeneuve strongly denied the latter allegation, calling it "ludicrous". Jacques Villeneuve driving for the Williams Formula One team at the 1996 Canadian Grand Prix Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of both Formula One and Champcars championships. ...

See also