Jeane Lassen

Jeane Lassen, born on September twenty-sixth, nineteen eighty, is a distinguished Canadian weightlifter hailing from Whitehorse, Yukon. She made history as Yukon's first Summer Olympian and has become a prominent figure in the world of weightlifting. Lassen's journey began at the young age of fourteen when she clinched a silver medal in the women's fifty-nine kg category at the 1995 Canada Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alberta, where she still holds the record for the Clean & Jerk.

Her early achievements paved the way for a remarkable career, as she competed in six Junior World Weightlifting Championships from nineteen ninety-five to two thousand, a feat accomplished by only a select few athletes globally. Lassen earned three silver medals at the Junior World Championships in nineteen ninety-seven and nineteen ninety-eight, along with an impressive fifteen medals at the University World Championships.

In two thousand six, she emerged as the Commonwealth Games champion in the sixty-nine kg category, setting a Games record in the clean and jerk. Later that year, she made her mark at the World Weightlifting Championships, winning a bronze medal in Total and a silver in the clean and jerk, becoming the first Canadian woman in seventeen years to medal in Total at the World Championships. Her Olympic journey continued at the two thousand eight Summer Olympics, where she ranked eighth in the seventy-five kg category, later moving to fifth due to IOC doping retests.

Beyond her athletic accomplishments, Lassen holds a Bachelor of Education from McGill University and a Sports Performance degree from Camosun College. She is bilingual in English and French and has conversational skills in Italian and Spanish. Her contributions to the sport extend to her roles as an Executive Board member of AthletesCAN and as an Athlete Representative on the Canada Games Council Sport Committee.

In two thousand sixteen, Lassen announced her intention to run for the Yukon Liberal Party in her home riding of Takhini-Kopper King, although she was ultimately defeated. Her legacy continues to inspire future generations of athletes, and she was inducted into the Yukon Sport Hall of Fame in two thousand eighteen.