Two former Stinger athletes and a Concordia coach will represent Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics Games in Beijing, China this August.
Martine Dugrenier, who represented Concordia from 1999 to 2004, will compete in the women’s 63-kilogram freestyle wrestling competition. David Zilberman, a member of the Stingers from 2003 to 2006, will wrestle in the men’s 96-kilogram freestyle division.
Victor Zilberman, who has run the Concordia wrestling program for more than 25 years, will serve as an assistant coach with Canada’s freestyle wrestling team. It is Zilberman’s fifth trip to the Olympics as a member of the Canadian coaching staff.
A Laval, Que. native, Dugrenier, 29, is one of the most dynamic and accomplished athletes to ever compete for Concordia University. In her five years, she won four medals at the CIS nationals, including three gold medals. She is a four-time all-Canadian. Dugrenier was also named Concordia’s Female Athlete of the Year on three occasions (2002, 2003 and 2004).
While at university, she studied Exercise Science at the undergraduate level and then pursued a graduate diploma in Sports Administration.
David Zilberman, 25, was a three-time medallist at the Canadian university nationals, winning gold medals in 2004 and 2006. A three-time all-Canadian, he was the CIS’s outstanding male rookie wrestler in 2004. David also won silver medals at the 2004 and 2006 World University Wrestling Championships. He was Concordia’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2006.
The Montreal native studied Leisure Sciences while at Concordia.
The Olympic freestyle wrestling events will take place Aug. 16-21 at the China Agriculture University gymnasium in Beijing.
Athletes who represented Concordia, Loyola and Sir George Williams and who were Olympians:
- Cecilia Anderson, women’s hockey, Sweden, 2006
- Andy Borodow, wrestling, Canada, 1992, 1996
- Therese Brisson, women’s hockey, Canada, 1998, 2002
- Karyn Bye, women’s hockey, U.S., 1998, 2002
- Delany Collins, women’s hockey, Canada, 2006
- Clark Davis, wrestling, Canada, 1980, 1984, 1988
- Rob Dawson, wrestling, Canada, 1992
- Cammi Granato, women’s hockey, U.S., 1998, 2002
- Garry Kallos, wrestling, Canada, 1980, 1984
- Warren Montabone, track, Canada, 1924, 1928
- Caroline Ouellette, women’s hockey, Canada, 2002, 2006
- Richard Pound, swimming, Canada, 1960
- Frank Shaughnessy Jr., men’s hockey, U.S., 1936
- Pedro R. Suinaga, soccer, Mexico, 1928
- Sylvia Sweeney, women’s basketball, Canada, 1976, 1984
- Doug Yeats, wrestling, Canada, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992
