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Game on! Dal alumni Olympians take on the world in Paris

Several Dal grads were among the impressive contingent of Canadian athletes who competed at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this summer. Learn more about them and their results at the Games.

Posted: July 26, 2024 (updated: Sept. 5)

By: Ryan McNutt

Collage of Dal alumni competing at the Olympics in Paris. Clockwise from upper left: Olympians Ellie Black, sisters Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance, Kamylle Frenette and the women's K4-500m team featuring Riley Melanson.

The eyes of the world were on Paris this summer as the 2024 Olympics played out.

Nova Scotia sent 10 Olympians to Paris to compete for Team Canada, and three of them are former Dalhousie students. Over the course of the Games, they pushed themselves to their limits, taking on the best of the best from around the world. And then, just a couple of weeks later, the Paralympic Games began — with another former Dal student on the world stage.

If you've followed along with the Olympic Games, you'll want to get to know these elite contenders and follow up on their results!

Black performing in her sport of gymnastics.

Results: Black finished sixth in women’s vault and sixth in the women’s individual all-around. In her fourth Olympic Games, she led the Canadian women’s artistic gymnastic team to an impressive fifth place in the team all-around competition.

Lewin-LaFrance in action sailing on the water with a teammate.

Results: The Lewin-LaFrance sisters finished in 11th position in the 49er FX competition, Canada’s best-ever Olympic performance in 49er FX, an event which has been part of the Games program since Rio 2016.

Melanson competing with her K-4 kayak team.

Results: Melanson placed fourth in the Women’s K-4 500 m sprint semi-finals, and sixth in the women’s K-1500m Sprint finals.

Frenette competing as a runner in an event.

What to watch for: Inspired by her father’s example, Frenette began training and racing in triathlons in New Brunswick when she was 16. Born with a club foot, she excelled in cross-country running at both the Université de Moncton and, subsequently, as a Dalhousie Tiger — all while training as a paratriathlon athlete. Making the Paralympic team for the 2020 games in Toyko, she earned an incredible fourth-place finish, which she followed up with a bronze medal at the 2023 World Triathlon Para Series in Montreal and the World Triathlon Para Cup Paris test event. She’s headed to Paris with incredible momentum: ranked fourth in the world in the women’s PTS5 event, she won her first World Triathlon Para Series event at the Montreal stop in June 2024 and took silver at the other two stops.

Results: Frenette secured another fourth-place finish in the women's Para triathlon PTS5 event at the Paralympic Games. Her time was 1:09:50.