Inductees

Chris Bowie (1998)

Swimming Athlete

What do you call a Canadian record holder, a Commonwealth Games medalist, a former Olympian and member of the board of directors of Swimming Canada?

In the case of Chris Bowie, you call him Hall of Famer.

A member of the Prince George Pisces swim club in 1975 and Prince George Barracudas swim club from 1975 to 1981, Bowie won several B.C. provincial championships between 1984 and 1988. He went to the Western Canada Games in 1983 and was also a five-time national champion in the 400-metre freestyle, 800m freestyle and 1500m freestyle. His Canadian record in the 800m freestyle (8:00:22) set in August 1990 still stands.

Bowie was also a four-time champion in the Canadian Inter-collegiate Athletic Union (CIAU). He spent eight years on the Canadian national team, making a big splash in pools all over the world. Ranked as high as sixth in the world in the 800m freestyle and 10th in the world in the 1500m free, Chris won bronze at the Pan Pacific meet in Tokyo in 1989, bronze at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland and two bronze medals at the World University Games in Sheffield, England, in 1991. He was also a member of Canada’s 4 x 2000m freestyle relay team that finished ninth at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He placed 15th in the 1500m freestyle at Barcelona.

Bowie reached the finals at several Pan Pacific meets through the late 1980s and early 1990s. He had a sixth and seventh in 1991 in Edmonton, two fourth-place showings (to go along with his bronze) in Tokyo in 1989, a fourth and ninth in Brisbane in 1988 and a fifth in Tokyo in 1985.

Bowie carried the Prince George name to swimming meets around the world, bringing fame to this city in the process. He is an excellent choice for induction to the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame.