Michel Vaillancourt

Michel Vaillancourt (born July 26, 1954) is a Canadian show jumper who won an individual silver medal at the 1976 Olympics. He tied for second place with Debbie Johnsey and François Mathy, but won the silver in a jump-off. Vaillancourt finished in fifth place with the Canadian team.[1]

Vaillancourt, Michel
Personal information
Full name	Michel Vaillancourt
Nationality	Canada
Discipline	Show jumping
Born	(1954-07-26) July 26, 1954 Saint-Félix-de-Valois, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	148 lb (67 kg; 10 st 8 lb)
Medal record Representing  Canada Olympic Games 1976 Montreal Individual jumping Pan American Games 1979 San Juan Team jumping 1975 Mexico City Team jumping

Vaillancourt started training in horse riding aged 12, encouraged by his father, an equestrian coach who died in a horse riding accident in 1971. At his first international competition, Vaillancourt won a team bronze medal at the 1975 Pan American Games. He won a silver team medal at the next Games in 1979. Vaillancourt missed the 1980 Olympics in Moscow that were boycotted by Canada, and competed at the Alternate Olympics, winning a team gold medal. After retiring from competitions he worked as a course designer and coach, supervising the Canadian equestrian team at the 1994 and 1998 Olympics. He was inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame in 2009.[1][2]