Anne Ottenbrite

Ottenbrite, Anne

Anne Ottenbrite, swimmer (b at Whitby, Ont 12 May 1966). Ottenbrite showed promise as a swimmer early in life. As a 3 year old, swimming was made enjoyable and recreational: her father often played games of chase with her, and her early swimming coach, noticing her potential, was careful not to push her lest she become discouraged. She won gold medals in the 200 m breaststroke and 4 x 100 m medley relay and silver in the 100 m breaststroke at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, and a gold medal in the 100 m breaststroke and a silver in the 4 x 100 m relay at the 1983 Pan-American Games, where she was disqualified in the 200 m breaststroke for using a dolphin kick. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, while still a high-school student, she won a gold medal in the 200 m breaststroke, silver in the 100 m breaststroke and bronze in the 4 x 100 m relay. Her 1984 gold-medal win marked the first gold-medal performance by a Canadian female swimmer. She has been a Member of the Order of Canada since 1984 and in 1985 was inducted into the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.