A hero’s welcome for Olympian Alexandre Bilodeau
Hundreds of Concordians turned up on March 7 to congratulate Alexandre Bilodeau — a recording-breaking Olympian and accounting undergraduate at the John Molson School of Business.
Bilodeau won the gold medal in men’s moguls at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. He is the first Olympic athlete in history to defend a gold medal in freestyle skiing.
The special homecoming reception took place in the atrium of the John Molson School of Business. It was covered by major media outlets like the Montreal Gazette, Global News Montreal, CTV News and Le Huffington Post Québec.
Here’s a look at what took place.
Two hundred to 300 people attended the reception, where Deputy Provost Lisa Ostiguy presented a giant congratulatory card signed by Concordians.
All photos by Concordia University
The event took place during March Break, so many students, staff and faculty members brought their children.
One Concordia student asked Bilodeau to autograph her skis.
The Olympian addressed the crowd, which included journalists from many of Montreal's major news outlets.
Former International Olympic Committee vice-president and Concordia alum Dick Pound (BA 63 LLD 10) mingled with the attendees.
Bilodeau posed for photos, too...
...and posed for some more!
Bilodeau wasn't the only Concordian to win a gold medal in Sochi. As team captain, former Stinger Caroline Ouellette played a key role in Canada's victory against the United States in the exciting Olympic final in women’s hockey on February 20. Concordia grad Lisa Haley, BSc 96, also contributed to the gold-medal effort as an assistant coach.