Redemption for Eric Lamaze, domination for Chantal Petitclerc, victory for Daniel Nestor -- Canadian athletes in 2008 provided performances for the history books.
In an Olympic debut that was more than 10 years in the making, Lamaze posted three perfect runs to capture gold in show jumping at the Beijing Games, a highlight of one of Canada's best performances at a Summer Olympics.
The rider from Schomberg, Ont., became the first individual equestrian gold medallist in Canadian history, and was Canada's only multi-medallist in Beijing having also claimed silver in the team event. The medals come after Lamaze was twice suspended for drug violations that cost him spots at both the 1996 Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Canada captured 18 medals in Beijing to tie its second-best performance at a non-boycotted Games, making big strides toward a strong showing in 2012 in London.
Less than a month later, Petitclerc took to the track at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium and raced to five Paralympic gold medals. When she neared the finish line of her final event, the 1,500 metres, the Montreal athlete pumped her fists in the air -- an exclamation point on a sparkling career that included 14 gold medals over five Paralympics.
Canada's Paralympic team warned of a slip in Beijing as the rest of the world catches up. The 19 gold left Canada ranked seventh and the 50 medals 10th in the overall standings.
Nestor split with longtime tennis partner Mark Knowles, and joined forces with Nenad Zimonjic. The Torontonian and his Serbian partner won the doubles crown at Wimbledon, and then the Masters Cup, clinching the world No. 1 ranking for the year.
The Beijing Games will be remembered for their grandeur and style. The venues were spectacular, and the athletic performances among the best in memory, and while Canada started out slow, the team gained momentum with a strong second week.
Positive images of Beijing linger: The men's eight rowing team bouncing back from heartbreak four years earlier in Athens to capture gold; a grinning Carol Huynh perched atop the shoulders of her coaches after the five-foot wrestler won gold; and silver medallist Emilie Heymans towering over two tiny Chinese divers on the podium.
Alexandre Despatie also won silver in the diving, but it felt like gold after he broke a bone in his foot in training only four months earlier. Kayaker Adam Van Koeverden carried Canada's flag in the opening ceremonies, and went on to win silver in the 500 metres, while a silver medal in trampoline earned Karen Cockburn the honour of flag-bearer in the closing ceremonies.
And sheer determination earned Simon Whitfield a silver in the triathlon eight years after his gold in Sydney in one of the most inspiring performances in Beijing.
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep sprinted to bronze in the women's 100-metre hurdles to give Canada its first Olympic medal on the track in 12 years. The Canadian swim team won its first Olympic medal in eight years when Ryan Cochrane earned the bronze medal in the 1,500 metres.
For the first time, Olympic medals were worth their weight in cold hard cash, as the Canadian Olympic Committee decided to reward athletes for podium performances -- $20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.
No surprise, many of Canada's other sports highlights came on the ice. From NHL stars Sidney Crosby and Martin Brodeur, to Jeffrey Buttle in figure skating, to Kevin Martin and Jennifer Jones in curling, and the men's junior hockey team, Canada owned the rinks in 2008.
Crosby shone en route to his inaugural appearance in the Stanley Cup final. The dazzling centre from Cole Harbour, N.S., put up 27 points to tie for the playoff scoring lead with Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zeterberg. His Pittsburgh Penguins couldn't handle the Detroit Red Wings in the final, but chances are Sid the Kid will get another crack at the Cup.
Brodeur, the New Jersey Devils' star goalie, won his fourth career Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best netminder.
The theme song from Hockey Night in Canada -- our unofficial second national anthem -- made headlines. Dolores Claman, who wrote the song in 1968, battled with CBC executives. CTV/TSN eventually bought the rights to use the song.
Buttle, from Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., captured gold at the world championships to lead Canada's figure skating team out of the shadows. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won ice dancing silver, while Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison took pairs bronze as Canada captured three medals for the first time since 1993.
The Canadian junior hockey team finished on top of the world for the fourth straight year, beating Sweden in the final in the Czech Republic. Steve Mason was named top goaltender and MVP.
In Quebec City, Canada fell 5-4 to Russia in the gold-medal game at the world hockey championship, while the Canadian under-18 team routed Russia 8-0 in its world championship final despite missing several key players.
The Canadian women's team didn't fare as well, losing to the U.S. at the world championship in China.
The Western Hockey League's Spokane Chiefs captured the Memorial Cup in May, while Kitchener Rangers centre Justin Azevedo was named Canadian Hockey League player of the year.
It was a good year in Canadian curling as Martin and Jones won the men's and women's world titles respectively.
On the long-track speedskating oval, Jeremy Wotherspoon of Red Deer, Alta., won all but one 500-metre race he was entered in, while Ottawa's Kristina Groves captured five medals at the world single-distance championships.
There was a reversal in fortunes on the slopes as the women outperformed the men. Emily Brydon of Fernie, B.C., led the way with a gold in a World Cup super-G in February as the women had seven podium finishes. Calgary's Jan Hudec won the opening downhill at Lake Louise, Alta., to lead a men's team that saw just three top-10 finishes.
Steve Omischl of North Bay, Ont., won the World Cup aerials title.
On the diamond, Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., won the home run derby at Yankee Stadium, then the Minnesota Twins slugger scored the winning run in the 15th inning to end a classic all-star game. Morneau capped the season by finishing second in the AL MVP voting.
Fredericton's Matt Stairs ripped a pinch-hit home run to win pivotal Game 4 of the NLCS for Philadelphia. The Phillies went on to eliminate the Dodgers in Game 5 and then beat Tampa Bay in the World Series.
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto of Toronto finished second in National League rookie of the year voting, while catcher/third baseman Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., went No. 16 in the MLB draft to Milwaukee, the best ever for a Canadian position player.
Canada fell short on the soccer pitch, failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Canadians didn't win a game during a disappointing third round of qualifying prompting harsh words from a handful of key players.
The women's team made its Olympic debut in Beijing, but was ousted in the quarter-finals, losing 2-1 to the U.S. in overtime on a rain-soaked pitch in Shanghai. Longtime coach Even Pellerud announced he was leaving the team.
Toronto FC remained as popular in its second season, selling out all of its 16,000 season tickets and averaging over 20,000 per game.
The team went 9-13-8 under new coach John Carver, but remains without a post-season appearance. There's reason for optimism however after the team acquired Toronto native and MLS star Dwayne De Rosario in an off-season trade with Houston.
In Canadian football, the Stampeders defeated the hometown Montreal Alouettes to win the Grey Cup 22-14 in front of over 66,000 fans at Olympic Stadium, Calgary's first appearance in the championship game since winning it in 2001.
Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo was named the CFL's MVP.
On the hardcourt, the Toronto Raptors took a step back, finishing 41-41 before being ousted by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
December saw the end of the Sam Mitchell era in Toronto, as the former NBA coach of the year was fired. Longtime national team player and coach Jay Triano took over, making him the first Canadian head coach in the NBA.
Both the men's and women's national teams failed to earn a berth in the Beijing Olympics.
A pair of Montreal fighters fared well. Georges St. Pierre reclaimed the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title, while boxer Lucien Bute twice successfully defended his IBF-super middleweight world title.
In darts, John Part of Toronto won the PDC world championship.
On the links, neither Mike Weir nor Stephen Ames won a tournament. Weir, from Bright's Grove, Ont., finished 14th on the PGA Tour money list, while Calgary's Ames was 27th.
A couple of Canadian horses shone. Not Bourbon captured the $1-million Queen's Plate at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack, North America's oldest continuously run stakes race.
In harness racing, Canada's Somebeachsomewhere virtually clinched horse-of-the-year honours in the U.S. by winning the US$500,000 three-year-old colt pace event in the Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Athan Iannucci of New Westminster, B.C., scored a National Lacrosse League-record 71 goals to earn MVP honours in a season that saw the Buffalo Bandits win it all. Goalkeeper Anthony Cosmo of Mississauga, Ont., was named MVP of the Mann Cup final for the victorious Brampton Excelsiors.
In Canadian university sports, the Laval Rouge et Or steamrolled the competition en route to a perfect football season and a Vanier Cup title. Laval quarterback Benoit Groulx collected the Hec Creighton trophy as player of the year.
There was upset on the men's college basketball court as the No. 7-ranked Brock Badgers took the title. The No. 2-ranked UBC Thunderbirds won the women's CIS crown.
On a sad note, the Vancouver Canucks lost young defenceman Luc Bourdon, who died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 21, while the CFL lost Bob Ackles, Ralph Sazio, Ron Lancaster, Earl Lunsford, Jake Gaudaur and Joe (King) Krol. George Gross, Don Wittman, Ed Chynoweth, and Brian Budd were among other well-known sports figures who passed away in 2008.
