Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to pay tribute to the achievement of one of Canada's judo greats, Nicolas Gill of Ville-Saint-Laurent.
This athlete did Canada proud today, winning the silver in judo at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. This was Canada's first silver medal.
Mr. Gill first made a name for himself on the international judo scene at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where he won a bronze. After a serious knee injury, which almost ended his career, Mr. Gill returned to the sport and won a bronze medal in the 1999 world championships and a gold at the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg the same year.
Nicolas is a model of commitment and perseverance for all the young people who meet him, including my seven-year old daughter, Anne-Darla, who has her yellow and white belts and for whom Nicolas is a great hero. I call on hon. members to join with me—