Larry Cain established himself as one of Canada's most consistent world class performers over a 17-year national team career. He was introduced to canoeing as a ten year-old in 1974 and developed quickly as a paddler. He began competing in all disciplines of the sport just one year later. Coaches recognized that Cain had potential as a sprinter and he was encouraged to specialize in the 500 and 1,000m distances. He earned a place on the national canoeing team in 1979. Two years later, he became the junior world champion, the first Canadian in over 40 years to win a gold medal in canoeing at the international level. Cain competed at the senior world championships in 1981 where he gathered valuable experience to be leveraged into competition at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. As the leader of the Canadian canoeing team, Cain fulfilled his potential by winning a gold medal in C1 (canoe-single) 500m, the first Canadian to win a gold medal in canoeing since Frank Amyot's gold victory in the 1936 Olympics. Adding to his gold victory, Cain was awarded the silver medal in the C-1, 1,000m race as well. Cain continued to compete and came fourth in the Seoul Olympics in 1988. He retired from the sport in 1996 and worked as a physical education school teacher and coach in Southern Ontario.