In the 31-year history of the Ms. Olympia, the participants at this annual and most prestigious rite of muscle display have shown a strong majority of the entries coming from the United States. This American majority grew to a more pronounced level when the fitness and figure divisions were inaugurated. And with the coming of the new Bikini division, the USA continues to dominate the entry lists.
But Canada has also contributed a memorable group of outstanding competitors to the Ms. Olympia over the years, and several of our northern neighbors have been prominent as amateurs as well as during their pro careers along with their participation in the Ms. O.
The honor of being the first Canadian to enter the Ms Olympia went to Mimi Rivest and she placed 11th in the inaugural field of 20 women at the Ms. O in 1980. As a
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| Mimi Rivest |
pro, Rivest would compete two more times - both in 1981 - at the 1st World Grand Prix in Montreal and at the IFBB Pro Worlds finishing 8th and 12th respectively before leaving the competitive scene.
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| Sherry Atton |
The first Canadian to enter multiple Ms. Olympias was Sherry Atton in 1982 and '83. A lightweight winner at the 1981 Canadian Championships, Atton's first outing as a pro ended successfully when she finished second at the 1st World Grand Prix in 1981. She left the pro ranks after a 12th-place finish at the 1983.
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| Carla Temple |
A year later in 1984 the dazzling Carla Temple became Canada's highest finisher at the Ms. Olympia before the coming of Laura Creavalle in 1988. Temple's fifth-place finish was accompanied by a memorable posing performance that drew a standing ovation from the partisan Canadian crowd in Montreal. The same year she also placed fifth at the IFBB Pro Worlds. Temple also had good success as an amateur winning the middleweight class at the 1983 Canadian Championships followed by a fifth-place MW finish at the inaugural IFBB World Amateur Championships - also in 1983. With model good looks, Temple did considerable print work in Canada and was sought after by major fashion publications. She finished her pro bodybuilding efforts in 1986 after a disappointing 15th-place finish at the IFBB Pro Worlds won by Juliette Bergmann.
Beginning in 1988, Laura Creavalle became Canada's most familiar face and physique in the pro
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| Laura Creavalle |
ranks. After a victory at the IFBB World Amateur Championships in 1988, Creavalle was invited to the Ms. Olympia as her pro debut - she finished 11th. But from that point on, she became a permanent fixture as a top six placer ever year until 2000. Creavalle was a two-time runner-up at the Ms. O in 1992 and '94, as well as winning three Ms. International titles during her distinguished career.
Sharon Bruneau became of Canada's most colorful
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| Sharon Bruneau |
pros after winning the 1991 IFBB North American Championships overall title. Competing three times at the Ms. O from 1992 to '94, and placing as high as 10th in 1993, Bruneau made history when she became the only Canadian to make the switch from bodybuilding to fitness in 1995. The switch fell short of expectations when she finished 11th. Still in all, Bruneau was one of the most highly publicized competitors of the day due to her striking looks and highly aesthetic physique. She gained international notoriety showing up on magazine covers worldwide.
Generally recognized as Canada's most muscular Ms. Olympia competitor, Laura Binetti graced the Ms. O stage on five occasions between 1993 through 1999 placing as high as eighth in 1999. And
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| Laura Binetti |
although her Ms. Olympia finishes were considerably lower than she would have hoped, her highly muscular physique still managed to win three pro events that included the 1994 Canada Pro Cup, the 1996 European Pro Grand Prix, and the 1999 IFBB Pro Worlds.
During the same time frame as Laura Binetti, the striking physiques of Melissa Coates and Dayana Cadeau entered the scene. While Coates only entered two Ms. Olympia contests in 1996 and ‘97, she was, nonetheless, the winner of the 1996 Jan Tana Classic. Like Bruneau, Coates was heavily publicized in all the bodybuilding publications and was featured on several international bodybuilding magazine covers.
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| Melissa Coates |
Meanwhile, Dayana Cadeau was busy building the foundation for who would become - along with Laura Creavalle - one of the most successful Canadian female competitors in the ranks of pro bodybuilding. Still very much active today, Cadeau has competed in 10 Ms. Olympia contests winning the lightweight class in 2004 and finishing second to Iris Kyle in 2006 and '07. Cadeau has also competed in 11 Ms. Internationals and also won the LW class at that event in 2001 and 2004.
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| Dayana Cadeau |
Among the 20 Canadian women who have made it to the Ms. Olympia stage in the bodybuilding division, the most recent additions have been Nicole Ball and Canada's largest-ever pro Zoa Linsey. Ball appeared in three successive Ms. O's from 2007 to 2009, while Linsey, at a striking 5-9 ½, 180 pounds, entered the 2010 Ms. O finishing 11th overall. She qualified for the Ms. O last year by placing third at the Phoenix Pro Championship last February.
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| Nicole Ball | Zoa Linsey |
FITNESS
Just seven Canadian women have reached the Ms. Olympia in the fitness division led by Mindi O'Brien with six entries to her credit. O'Brien has been a steady competitor finishing in the top 10 in five of her six appearances.
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Quebec's Myriam Capes owns the highest-ever placing by a Canadian fitness competitor when she placed fourth in 2010. Her high placement is significant due to the fact that when Capes entered her first Ms. O in 2007 she finished 18th.
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| Myriam Capes |
Stephanie Worsfold deserves special note having made a comeback that spanned a decade. Her first entry in the Ms. O came in 1997. Then in 2007, Worsfold again appeared after ten years to once again qualify for the event. To say the least, the odds of qualifying after such a long period of time were astronomical, especially at such a highly competitive level. But she accomplished the feat.
As was mentioned, Sharon Bruneau made the switch from bodybuilding to fitness and is one of only two women (the other is American Penny Price) to compete in both divisions at the Ms. Olympia. Bruneau, along with Milamar Flores became Canada's first fitness entries at the Ms. O in 1995 - the first year Fitness was contested at this event.
FIGURE
Four women make up the total Canadian presence at past Ms. Olympia contests. Leading this group is Elaine Goodlad who competed in 2003 and 2004. She also ranks as the first Canadian to compete in the Ms. Olympia Figure division in 2003, and is Canada's highest-ever placer when she finished eighth in 2004.
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| Elaine Goodlad | Jane Awad |
Jane Awad has also qualified twice reaching the Olympia stage in 2005 and 2008.
A total of 31 women have represented Canada at the Ms. Olympia. The following is a complete list:
BODYBUILDING
Sherry Atton, '82, ‘83
Nicole Ball, '07, '08, ‘09
Laura Binetti, '93, '94, '95, '97, ‘99
Sandra Blackie, '90, ‘92
Helen Bouchard, '06, ‘10
Sharon Bruneau, '92, '93, ‘94
Holly Buss, ‘84
Dayana Cadeau, '98, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, ‘10
Melissa Coates, '96, ‘97
Laura Creavalle, '88, ‘89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, ‘02
Sophie Duquette, ‘02
Desiree Ellis, '04, ‘05
Astrid Falconi, ‘93
Negrita Jayde, ‘90
Cathy Lefrancois, '00, '03, '08, ‘10
Lynn Lemieux, '89, '90, ‘91
Zoa Linsey, ‘10
Joy Nichols, '84, '85, ‘88
Mimi Rivest, ‘80
Carla Temple, ‘84
FITNESS
Christine Bergeron, ‘02
Sharon Bruneau, ‘95
Myriam Capes, '07, '09, ‘10
Milamar Flores, '95, ‘99
Mindi O'Brien, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, ‘09
Kari Odiatu, ‘03
Stephanie Worsfold, '97, ‘07
FIGURE
Jane Awad, '05, ‘08
Elaine Goodlad, '03, ‘04
Debbie Leung, ‘05
Nina Luchka, ‘06
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