CLAUDE LAVOIE

CLASS OF 2023 - BUILDER INDUCTEE

Claude Lavoie is one of the most significant Canadian water polo personalities in the history of the sport, having assumed many roles over a career spanning five decades. As a coach of the Quebec City, Sainte-Foy-Sillery-Cap-Rouge borough, women's program, he built his team into one of the world's best during the late 1970s and early 1980s. However, it was as a fierce advocate for women's water polo that Claude's most important contribution was felt. Through the efforts of Claude and a handful of others around the globe, women’s water polo was officially recognized at the 1986 World Aquatic Championships and became an official Olympic sport in 2000 in Sydney.