Alexandra BARRE

Hungarian Alexandra Sandor began her athletic career as a gymnast, but soon took up canoeing and first met her future husband, Canadian canoeist Denis Barré, at the 1975 Junior World Championships. They would meet again at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where Denis was competing in the K2-500 and the K2-1000 and Alexandra was a substitute on the Hungarian team. They were married in 1977, and Alexandra moved to Canada after failing to make her country’s delegation to the 1980 Summer Games. After taking some time off to raise her daughter, Alexandra returned to active competition in 1981, now representing Canada, with sixth-place finishes in the K2-500 and the K4-500 at the World Championships. She moved up to fifth in both events the following year, but sank to seventh and ninth respectively at the 1983 edition. She was then selected for the 1984 Summer Olympics, where she and partner Sue Holloway took silver in the K2-500 and then bronze in the K4-500 (with Lucie Guay and Barb Olmsted). In doing so she was among the first Canadian women to win an Olympic canoeing medal. Following the Games Barré participated in one more edition of the World Championships, placing sixth in the K4-500 in 1985, and then retired from active competition in 1986 to run a hotel with her husband. Their daughter Mylanie competed at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.