The 1970s

Top left, counter-clockwise: Vancouver Whitecaps, North American Soccer Bowl Champions 1979; Karen Magnussen, bronze medal in Figure Skating world championships, Lyon France 1971; The Vancouver Canucks first NHL season 1970/71; Debbie Brill, High Jump gold Medal 1970 Commonwealth Games.

The 1970s was a decade of firsts for BC athletes and teams. The decade began as the Vancouver Canucks entered the NHL. Karen Magnussen captured the world figure skating title in 1973. The Whitecaps brought the decade to a close with their NASL Soccer Bowl victory.

BC athletes on the Canadian swim team, such as Shannon Smith, Bruce Robertson, and Leslie Cliff, produced brilliant medal-winning performances. In track and field, Debbie Brill and Greg Joy achieved phenomenal success at the international level. Athletes with disabilities set many world track and field records.

Politics entered the international athletic scene during the decade. The 1972 Olympics are sadly remembered for the terrorist attack that killed eleven Israeli athletes. Four years later, a boycott by many African teams cast a shadow over the Olympics in Montreal.

1970s Gallery presented by: Ronald Laird Cliff