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Hall of Famers

Hall of Famer

Dr. Jean Grenier

Inducted in 1992

Member Details

Date of Birth: February 18, 1937
Place of Birth: Quebec City, Quebec
Sport: Speed Skating
Member Category: Builder

Career Highlights

1969

Founding member, Ste. Foy Speed Skating Club

1970

Founding President, Quebec Speed Skating Federation

1976-1977

President, Canadian Speedskating Association

1984

Assistant Chef du Mission, Olympic Games

1988

Chef du mission, Olympic Games

Hall of Famer Dr. Jean Grenier
Sport

Story

Though he's more likely to be found wearing a lab coat rather than a full-body spandex suit, Dr. Jean Grenier can be credited with much of Canada's speed skating success in recent decades. Dr. Grenier, coroner-in-chief for the province of Quebec, was first drawn into the sport when his children took it up. Upon realizing that Quebec lacked a speed skating organization, Dr. Grenier helped to found the Ste. Foy Speed Skating Club in 1969 and was founding president of the Quebec Speed Skating Federation in 1970. Through his tireless administrative work, Dr. Grenier has played a key role in building the structures that have produced world-renowned speed skaters such as Gaetan Boucher and Sylvie Daigle. An executive member of the Canadian Speedskating Association starting in 1972 and its president in 1976-77, Dr. Grenier was also a director of the Canadian Olympic Association and Canada's representative to the International Skating Union (ISU). In addition, he held the position of president of the ISU's Committee for Short Track Speedskating. In Olympic events, Dr. Grenier's presence has been strongly felt. He served as assistant Chef de Mission for the Canadian team at the 1984 Olympic Team in Sarajevo, and Chef du Mission at the 1988 Games in Calgary. He also served as a member of the Organizing Committee for the Calgary Olympics and was spokesman during Quebec City's bid for the 2002 Games. Perhaps the highlight of Dr. Grenier's career was the four World Championship events in which he played a key organizational role: the World Juniors in 1978, the World Short Track in 1979, the World Women's in 1981, and the World Spring Championships in 1987. The crowning touch to Dr. Grenier's legacy was the inclusion of short track speed skating as an Olympic event for Albertville in 1992. He worked hard to gain demonstration status in Calgary, and its popular success led to acceptance by the International Olympic Committee in April 1989.