Donate Today EN | FR
Hall of Famers

Hall of Famer

LESLIE CLIFF

Inducted in 1984

Member Details

Date of Birth: March 11, 1955
Place of Birth: Vancouver, British Columbia
Sport: Swimming
Member Category: Athlete

Career Highlights

1972

Munich Olympic Games - Silver medal 400m individual medley

1974

Commonwealth Games - two Gold medals, 200m and 400m individual medley

Hall of Famer LESLIE CLIFF
Sport

Story

For most, 33 national swim titles are impressive enough, but for Leslie Cliff it wasn't. As one of Canada's finest international swimmers, this champion amassed an impressive record of medals and wins on the international stage as well. Cliff first came to international prominence at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, distinguishing herself as a strong competitor who showed tremendous promise. In Cali, Columbia, at the 1971 Pan American Games, Cliff won three gold medals and two silver medals, a record for most gold medals won by a Canadian in a single Games for the next 28 years. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Cliff was one of only five Canadians to win a medal. She took the silver in the 400m individual medley, her strongest event. Her greatest success came at the 1974 Commonwealth Games where she won two gold medals and set Commonwealth Games records in both the 200m and 400m individual medley events. An Officer of the Order of Canada, Cliff has remained actively involved in swimming. She co-founded the Zajac annual swim camps organized by alumni of Canada's National Swim Team. She was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and in 1994 was the honourary captain of the Commonwealth Games swim team. She was inducted in to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1997. Cliff currently resides in British Columbia where she is president of Genus Capital Management, a financial management firm she started in 1989.