Editing Clara Hughes (section)

==Career==
Hughes was born in [[Winnipeg]], and is a graduate of [[Elmwood High School (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)|Elmwood High School]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sale |first1=Lyzaville |title=Clara Hughes pays visit to her former Winnipeg high school |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/clara-hughes-pays-visit-to-her-former-winnipeg-high-school-1.2677060 |website=www.CBC.ca |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corp. |access-date=22 February 2025}}</ref><ref name="Olympian's upbeat talk inspires alma mater">{{cite news |last1=Glowaki |first1=W |title=Jun 2014: Olympian's upbeat talk inspires alma mater |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2014/06/17/olympians-upbeat-talk-inspires-alma-mater |access-date=22 February 2025 |work=Winnipeg Free Press |date=17 June 2014}}</ref> In an interview on [[CBC Radio]] show ''[[Definitely Not the Opera]]'',<ref>{{cite web |publisher=CBC Radio, DNTO |title=What drives you to compete? |date=November 26, 2011 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/dnto/news-promo/2011/11/18/whats-driving-your-competitive-spirit-nov-26dec-6/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224171945/http://www.cbc.ca/dnto/news-promo/2011/11/18/whats-driving-your-competitive-spirit-nov-26dec-6/ |archive-date=2014-12-24 |access-date=2019-12-04}}</ref> Hughes reveals that as a youth, she smoked cigarettes, drank a lot at a young age and did a lot of drugs, admitting she did not envision herself as an athlete.<ref>{{cite news |title=Medal winner Clara Hughes makes $10,000 donation to Vancouver charity |author=Lindsay Kines |url=https://vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Medal+winner+Clara+Hughes+makes+donation+Vancouver+charity/2612430/story.html |newspaper=[[Vancouver Sun]] |date=February 25, 2010 |access-date=December 8, 2012}}</ref> She was inspired to begin skating after witnessing [[Gaétan Boucher]] at the [[1988 Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Clara Hughes talks about moving on after the Olympics |author=Sean Gordon |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/clara-hughes-talks-about-moving-on-after-the-olympics/article4572797/ |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=September 27, 2012 |access-date=2014-01-29}}</ref> She started with speed skating, but in 1990 she moved to competitive cycling, competing in [[track cycling]] and [[road bicycle racing|road cycling]].

Hughes started speed skating at the age of 16, and then took up the sport of cycling at the age of 17. She would eventually return to the sport of speed skating at the age of 28, after achieving success in the [[1996 Atlanta Olympics]]. With her experience and endurance earned through cycling, Hughes went on to a successful career competing in the 3,000&nbsp;m and 5,000&nbsp;m. This would eventually lead her to medal in these long-distance events at the [[Winter Olympics]]. She then returned to cycling, at the age of 38, to later successfully return for the [[2012 London Olympics]].

===Cycling===
[[File:Clara Hughes 2011 Tour of the Gila.jpg|thumb|left|Hughes on 2011 Tour of the Gila]]
Hughes, an 18-time Canadian national cycling champion, won the silver medal at the 1995 [[World Cycling Championships]] (time trial).

She participated at the [[1991 Pan American Games|1991]], [[1995 Pan American Games|1995]], 1999 and [[2003 Pan American Games]] and won eight Pan American Games medals.  A participant at the [[1990 Commonwealth Games|1990]], [[1994 Commonwealth Games|1994]] and [[2002 Commonwealth Games]], Hughes won gold in the time trial (road, 2002), bronze in the points race on the [[velodrome]] (2002), and silver in the 50&nbsp;km team time trial (1994, with [[Alison Sydor]], [[Anne Samplonius]], and Lesley Tomlinson).<ref name="GROOM2013">{{cite book |author=GRAHAM GROOM |title=THE COMPLETE BOOK OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NezwBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA296 |year=2013 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-291-57638-2 |pages=296–}}</ref>

Hughes participated in the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] and [[2000 Summer Olympics]], winning two bronze medals at the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]], in the individual road race and the individual time trial. These were the second and the third ever medals in road cycling for Canada, after [[Steve Bauer]]'s silver medal at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]], and the first medals in cycling for a Canadian woman.<ref name=TorStar-2012-06-22 /> As of 2011, these were the only three cycling medals for Canada.<ref name=TorStar-2012-06-22 />

A four-time participant of the women's [[Grande Boucle|Tour de France]], Hughes has won the [[Women's Challenge|1994 Women's Challenge]] and the [[Liberty Classic|1995 Liberty Classic]].

Hughes served as a commentator for cycling events for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]'s coverage of the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in [[Beijing]].<ref>CBC Television, ''Olympic Prime'', August 20, 2008</ref>

In November 2010, she announced a comeback, indicating her desire to race at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/article/891846--olympian-clara-hughes-making-a-comeback-for-2012-london-games?bn=1 |location=Toronto |work=The Star |first=Randy |last=Kman |title=Olympian Clara Hughes making a comeback for 2012 Games |date=November 17, 2010}}</ref> At the 2011 Pan American Championships, Hughes won the individual time trial and road race, both by a big margin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.velonews.com/2011/05/news/clara-hughes-beats-stevens-and-neben-to-win-pan-am-games-time-trial_171391 |title=Clara Hughes beats Stevens and Neben to win Pan Am games time trial |publisher=Velo News |date=2011-05-06 |access-date=2019-12-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/panamerican-road-championships-cc-1/road-race/results/ |title=Hughes solos to victory, earns second Panamerican gold |publisher=Cycling News |date=2011-05-08 |access-date=2019-12-04}}</ref> In May 2011, she took first in the [[Tour of the Gila]], winning two stages. In July 2011, she finished first in the inaugural [[Crusher in the Tushar]] in Beaver, Utah. At the Chrono Gatineau time trials in May 2011, she finished first among an international slate of riders.<ref>[http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2012/05/20/chrono_gatineau_time_trials/ "Hughes wins Chrono Gatineau Time Trial"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311080229/http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2012/05/20/chrono_gatineau_time_trials/ |date=March 11, 2016 }}, Canadian Press, May 20, 2012</ref> In June 2012, she was selected to become part of Canada's 2012 London Olympics team, as one of four in cycling, with two other women and a man.<ref name=Hesjedal-Hughes-join-2012Olympics /> She finished 32nd, with the peloton, in the [[Cycling at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's road race|road race]]<ref>CTV, TSN 2012 London Olympics, airdate: July 29, 2012, circa 10h45am EDT</ref> and finished 5th in the [[Cycling at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's road time trial|road time trial]] at the 2012 Olympics.<ref>CTV, SportsNet 2012 London Olympics, airdate August 1, 2012, circa 8:40am</ref>

===Palmares===
{{colbegin | colwidth=30em}}
;1992
:1st [[File:MaillotCan.PNG|20px]] National Road Race Championships
;1994
:1st Stage 3 Etoile Vosgienne
:1st Prologue  & Stage 9 [[Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin]]
:1st Overall Idaho International Challenge
::1st Stages 3 & 5
:1st Overall Women's Challenge
;1995
:1st [[Liberty Classic]]
:1st [[File:MaillotCan.PNG|20px]] National Time Trial Championships
;1998
:1st Stage 2 Tour de Snowy
;1999
:1st [[File:MaillotCan.PNG|20px]] National Road Race Championships
;2000
:1st Stage 5 [[Redlands Bicycle Classic]]
:1st [[File:MaillotCan.PNG|20px]] National Time Trial Championships
;2002
:1st Commonwealth Games Time Trial
;2011
:1st Pan American Championships Time Trial
:1st Pan American Championships Road Race
:1st La visite chrono du Gatineau
:1st [[File:MaillotCan.PNG|20px]] National Time Trial Championships
;2012
:1st Stage 4b (TTT) [[Energiewacht Tour]]
:1st La visite chrono du Gatineau
:1st [[File:MaillotCan.PNG|20px]] National Time Trial Championships
{{colend}}

===Long track speed skating===
[[File:Clara Hughes at WC 2007 in Heerenveen.jpg|thumb|left|Hughes skating in 2007]]
In the 2000/2001 season, Hughes made a successful comeback to [[speed skating]], participating in the [[World Single Distance Championships]] in [[Salt Lake City]], where she finished 11th in the 3000&nbsp;m.

The following season, she qualified for the [[2002 Winter Olympics]]. After placing 10th in the 3000&nbsp;m, she won the bronze medal in the 5000&nbsp;m, just ahead of compatriot [[Cindy Klassen]]. With this, she became the second [[speed skater]] to win medals in the Summer and Winter Games — [[Christa Luding-Rothenburger]] won a gold in the 1000&nbsp;m speed skating and silver in the 1000&nbsp;m cycling sprint in 1988. She became the fourth person and second woman to win medals at the Summer and Winter Games. In 2006, she was the only Olympian to have won multiple medals at the Summer Games as well as at the Winter Games.<ref>{{cite news |title=Incredible! Clara Hughes wins another medal |newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]] |date=February 24, 2010 |url=http://www.torontosun.com/sports/vancouver2010/news/2010/02/24/13013616-qmi.html |access-date=2010-02-24}}</ref>

[[File:Clara Hughes by Freeman cropped.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Led by Clara Hughes, the Canadian team enters [[BC Place]] during the [[2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony|opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics]].]]

In [[Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics|2006]], although she had not been asked, she announced she would not carry the [[Canadian flag]] during the [[2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony|opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics]] in [[Turin, Italy]]. At those Olympics, she won her first gold medal in the 5000&nbsp;m and a silver medal in the team pursuit as part of the Canadian team. She earned her fifth Olympic medal at the 2006 Games, tying the total all-time Canadian medal count record, also held by [[Marc Gagnon]] and [[Phil Edwards (athlete)|Phillip Edwards]]. Klassen set a new record in the same games, winning five medals in Turin, for a total of six.

Inspired by [[Joey Cheek]], who donated his gold medal bonus to [[Right to Play]], Hughes donated $10,000 of her own money to [[Right to Play]] after her 2006 gold medal win in the 5000&nbsp;m.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060225/torino_oly_donation_060225/20060225?s_name=torino2006&no_ads= |title=Canadian Olympian donates $10,000 to charity |author=Canadian Press Wire |date=February 25, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314020825/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060225/torino_oly_donation_060225/20060225?s_name=torino2006&no_ads= |archive-date=March 14, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> (Canada did not give out medal bonuses at the time).

Hughes was also a [[List of speed skating records|world record]] holder on 10,000&nbsp;m track with 14:19.73 on March 13, 2007, on the [[Olympic Oval]] in [[Calgary]], which was beaten by [[Martina Sáblíková]] one year later. However, that time is still the Canadian record.

On January 29, 2010, she was announced as the Canadian Flag Bearer for the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in Vancouver.<ref>{{cite news |first=Shi |last=Davidi |title='Someone who is truly remarkable': Clara Hughes named flag-bearer for Vancouver |newspaper=[[Winnipeg Free Press]] |date=January 30, 2010 |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/breakingnews/Hughes-to-be-flag-bearer-at-Olympics-coach-says.html |access-date=2010-02-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204103740/http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/breakingnews/Hughes-to-be-flag-bearer-at-Olympics-coach-says.html |archive-date=February 4, 2010}}</ref>  During the games she won a bronze medal in the [[Speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's 5000 metres|5,000 metres]] which was also the final Olympic speed skating race of her career. Her time of 6:55.73 became a new track record, though her time was soon beaten by [[Stephanie Beckert]] of Germany and gold medalist [[Martina Sáblíková]] of the Czech Republic. This brought her career medals total to six, tying teammate [[Cindy Klassen]] as the Canadian athlete with the most medals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hughes adds another bronze to incredible resume |publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer|Slam! Sports]] |date=February 24, 2010 |access-date=2010-02-24 |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/News/2010/02/24/13013706-qmi.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714194522/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/News/2010/02/24/13013706-qmi.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref>