By Earl Zukerman, Sports Information Officer, McGill Athletics and Recreation
Six athletes are among a 23-member entourage of McGill University graduates serving in an official capacity at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, July 24 to Aug. 11. Heading the list of athletes is Clément Secchi, a three-time Forbes Trophy winner as McGill male athlete of the year, who graduated with a management degree in 2022. He hails from Aix en Provence in France and will be swimming for his native country.
The Canadian entourage includes Briana Scott-Hungerford (BA '12), a former McGill volleyball player from Vancouver, B.C., who is now a distance runner representing Canada in track and field. Rounding out the McGillians are Virginie Chénier (BA '17) of Laval, Que., in archery, and three fencers: Shaul Gordon (BCL/LLB '19, LLM '21) of Richmond, B.C., and a pair of Montrealers, Maximilien Van Haaster (BSc '16) and François Cauchon (BCom '22).
The official count does not include future McGillian Caroline Crossley, a rugby sevens player from Victoria, B.C., who is expected to be enrolled in law school this fall.
A high-profile official heading to France is long-standing IOC member Richard Pound (BCom'62, BCL'67), a former McGill swimmer who competed in the 1960 Rome Olympics.
The Canadian Olympic Committee mission staff is sending 11 grads to Paris, including Montreal native David Paradelo (B.Eng '09), head coach of the women's water polo team, former McGill volleyball player Marie-Andrée Lessard (BCom '01) of LaSalle, Que., who will serve in the role of Games Leadership, and Hubert T. Lacroix (BCL '76, MBA '81). A former McGill women's basketball coach who was president of CBC/Radio-Canada, Lacroix is serving as COC Team Leader.
Another key post is held by Philip Jevtovic (BA '15), a former McGill basketball player who serves as director of high performance analytics and strategy with Canada Basketball.
The medical team includes a pair of physicians from the McGill Sportsmedicine Clinic: Dr. Mickey Moroz (MDCM '16, MEd '18) and Dr. Gabrielle Ostiguy (Medical Fellowship '15). Also on board with medical services is Tiffany Hunting (BSc PT '09, MSc '11) of Cowansville, Que., a head physiotherapist with Judo Canada who played varsity rugby at McGill.
Rounding out the COC staff on site is Emily Phoenix (BA '16), a team leader with Golf Canada, from Calgary, Alta., along with athlete apparel outfitter Shane Fombuena (BEd PE '13), chief sport officer Eric Myles (EMBA '11) and communications manager Manny Almela (BA '99) of Greenfield Park, Que., who once served as sports editor of The McGill Tribune.
Also working at the Games is Victor Mansure (BEd'10), a former McGill basketball player who is now serving as director of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation; and Ana Shapiro (BEd PE '98), a former McGill hockey player who currently handles the global event marketing account with Allianz, one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers.
