Longtime Canadian National and Olympic Team Coach Benoit LeBrun passed away in January at the age of 67 after battling cancer.
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LeBrun was born on May 9, 1957 and he was a member of the Canada Olympic Coaching roster for the 1992, 2008, and 2012 Games, and the 1991, 1994, 2013 World Championships. Through this time, he was credited with coaching multiple National Teams and Olympic/Paralympic Qualifiers.
His most notable swimmers were multi-time National Record Holder Victoria Poon, and Paralympic medalist Benoit Huot. Poon was the premiere 50 freestyler in Canada for years, setting the National Record in the event for the first time in 2005. After that, she went on to break the record two more times before 2009. She also broke the 50 fly and 100 free National Records while swimming under LeBrun. In 2010, Lebrun won Women’s Coach of the Year at the Canadian Swimming Awards, due in part to his work with Poon, and with other female sprinters.
Benoit Huot is a Paralympian who has set numerous National Records and earned a multitude of medals for Canada. Huot made his Olympic Debut in 2000 where he earned three gold medals (50 free, 100 fly, 200 IM) and three silver medals (100 free, 400 free, 100 back). He went on to win five golds (50 free, 100 free, 400 free, 100 fly, 200 IM), and a silver (100 back) at the 2004 Games in Athens. He also earned medals in 2008 and 2012 at the Olympics, ultimately serving as Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies in 2012. In 2017, Lebrun won Male Para Swimmer Coach of the Year at Canada’s Big Splash Awards for his work with Huot.
LeBrun also served as a member of the coaching staff at the 1989, 1991, 2006, and 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, and at least one World University Games.
He passed away at the age of 67 on January 14, 2025.
