Alex Bilodeau was the first Canadian to win an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2010 Olympic Games. Importantly, Bilodeau is the first Canadian to win an Olympic Gold Medal when the games were hosted by Canada. This long time goal has eluded Canada for decades and finally, Canadian Alex Bilodeau secured the first Gold Medal Canada has ever received on Canadian soil.

On February 14th, during the 2010 Olympic Games, Alex Bilodeau overtook competition from both the US Freestyle Ski Team as well as rivals from the Australian Freestyle Ski Team to secure 1st place and the first Gold Medal Canadians received at the 2010 Olympic Games.

Freestyle Skiing involves an individual skier traveling down the hill on a pair of snow skis over a series of bumps called moguls and two large jumps where an areal trick is preformed. Skiers are scored on a number of elements including style, speed and technical complexity.http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-freestyle-skiing/

During the 2010 Freestyle Skiing Olympic Event, skiers from Australia (silver) and U.S.A. both provided significant competition for Canada. The U.S. was first of the three to place for medal contention. Bilodeau received a higher score than the U.S. and Australia was left to run. Interestingly, Australia's Dale Begg Smith spent time on the Canadian Freestyle Ski team and had moved his alliance to Australia.http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-freestyle-skiing/athletes/dale-begg-smith_ath1017052wd.html

In the end, Australia's Dale Begg Smith tried to overcome Canadian Bilodeau by moving quickly through the course and as a result missed a grab in an inverted jump maneuver.

The Gold Medal that Alex Bilodeau won at the 2010 Winter Olympics marks the first medal that Canada has been awarded on Canadian soil. The Olympics has been held twice in Canada and neither time has a Canadian been awarded a Gold medal.

In 1976 the Summer Olympic Games was hosted in Montreal. In 1998, Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics.http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=capress-oly_first_gold-121828320&prov=capress&type=lgns

High hopes were placed on Bilodeau for the first Canadian Olympic gold medal along with downhill skier Manuel Osborne-Paradis, speedskater Charles Hamelin, and Jennifer Heil in moguls.

1988 Calgary Winter Olympics ended without a Canadian golden moment.