Featured athlete: Christine Sinclair

Christine Sinclair will be making her 5th appearance at the Women’s World Cup and is four goals away from setting a new world record.

Facts:

• Sport:
  Football (Soccer)
• Games:
  Rio 2016London 2012Beijing 2008

• Born: June 12, 1983
• Age: 35
• Height: 175cm
• Weight: 68kg
• Birthplace: Burnaby, BC
• Home Province: British Columbia
• Hometown: Burnaby, BC
• Residence: Burnaby, BC

Biography:

Christine Sinclair is the most successful soccer player to ever compete for Canada. She made her debut with the senior national team as a 16-year-old at the 2000 Algarve Cup where she also scored her first international goal. As of April 5, 2019, she has accumulated 180 career international goals, ranking her second all-time but first among active players. In 2013 she was inducted to Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Sinclair has competed at three Olympic Games, winning back-to-back bronzes at London 2012 and Rio 2016. At London 2012, she was the tournament’s leading scorer with six of Canada’s 12 goals, including a hat trick in the controversial semifinal extra-time loss to the United States. For her efforts, she was named Canada’s Closing Ceremony flagbearer and became the first soccer player to win the Lou Marsh Award as Canadian Athlete of the Year. Sinclair scored three goals at Rio 2016, including what turned out to be the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Brazil in the bronze medal match.

Sinclair first came to national prominence during the 2002 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Edmonton where she won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s leading scorer with 10 goals (including five against England) and the Golden Ball as tournament MVP as Canada finished second. A year later she competed at her first of four FIFA Women’s World Cups, scoring three goals and helping Canada reach the bronze medal game. In 2011, she showed her determination to compete after breaking her nose in Canada’s opening match, forcing her to wear a face mask for the rest of the tournament. Later that year, she led Canada to gold at the Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, following up on her bronze medal from 2007. Sinclair was named Canada Soccer’s Women’s Player of the Year 11 straight times from 2004 to 2014 and again in 2016 and 2018. She is a multiple time nominee for FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.

A little more about Christine…

Getting into the Sport: Started playing soccer and baseball at age 4 because her brother played and she wanted to do everything he did… Outside Interests: Enjoys playing golf… Graduated from the University of Portland in 2005 with a degree in Life Science… Odds and Ends: Nickname: Sinc… Received Honourary Doctorate of Laws from Simon Fraser University in 2013… Wears the #12 because it was the number worn by hall of fame second baseman and former Toronto Blue Jay Roberto Alomar… Was featured alongside Lionel Messi on the cover of FIFA 16 video game in Canada…