Les McDonald, CM (30 April 1933 – 4 September 2017) was a Canadian athlete and administrator. He was the founding President of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) from 1989-2008, and was made an Honorary President for the organization until his death in 2017.
McDonald is largely credited with getting the sport of triathlon into the Olympic Games, with the inaugural race taking place at the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.[1][2] He is a member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (2007),[3] the BC Sports Hall of Fame (2009),[4] and the ITU Hall of Fame (2014).[5] He was awarded the Olympic Order in 2010, in Vancouver, by the International Olympic Committee.[6]
McDonald was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2013[7] by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada.
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