Canadian · Rosemère, Quebec, Canada · Born 8 September 1987Canadian freestyle skier who became the first Canadian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal on home soil, then made history again by becoming the first freestyle skier ever to defend an Olympic title.
Alexandre Bilodeau was born on 8 September 1987 in Rosemère, Quebec, and switched from hockey to skiing at age seven so the whole family, including his older brother Frédéric - who has cerebral palsy - could participate together. Inspired by his childhood idol, 1994 Olympic moguls champion Jean-Luc Brassard, he became the youngest skier ever to win a World Cup moguls event, doing so in front of a home crowd at Mont Gabriel, Quebec, and made his Olympic debut at Turin 2006, finishing 11th as an 18-year-old. Bilodeau's breakthrough came at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, where he defeated defending champion Dale Begg-Smith of Australia in the moguls final, scoring 26.75 points to become the first Canadian athlete ever to win an Olympic gold medal on home soil, ending a drought across three Canadian-hosted Games dating back to 1976. The celebrations across the country were immense, and Bilodeau dedicated the moment to his brother Frédéric, crediting him as his greatest inspiration. After winning World Championship titles in dual moguls in 2011 and 2013, Bilodeau went to the 2014 Sochi Olympics as underdog to his own Canadian teammate, rising star Mikaël Kingsbury, who had beaten him regularly on the World Cup circuit. In a tense final, Bilodeau capitalized on a small error from Kingsbury to defend his Olympic title, becoming the first freestyle skiing gold medalist in history to successfully defend an individual Olympic title. He retired shortly after to pursue a career in accounting, becoming a chartered professional accountant and a prominent spokesperson for cerebral palsy awareness alongside his brother, and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Becoming the first Canadian athlete to win Olympic gold on home soil, then the first freestyle skier ever to successfully defend an individual Olympic title
How They Played
Technically precise moguls skier known for peaking at major championships and executing complex aerial combinations under maximum pressure
Lasting Impact
Remembered as one of the defining moments of the 2010 Vancouver Games and a pioneering champion for Canadian winter sport, whose advocacy for cerebral palsy awareness alongside his brother extended his impact beyond skiing
Career Honours
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Moguls (2010, 2014)
- First Canadian athlete to win Olympic gold on Canadian soil
- First freestyle skiing gold medalist to defend an Olympic title
- 3x World Championship Gold Medalist, Dual Moguls
Canadian Athletes