The impressive contingent of young Nova Scotia athletes seeking their shot at Olympic glory in London should add to what’s already an outstanding provincial legacy.

This varied group of Olympians — gymnast Ellie Black, swimmer David Sharpe, sailing’s Danielle Dube, judo’s Amy Cotton, boxer Custio Clayton, paddlers Ryan Cochrane, Mark de Jonge and Jason McCoombs, and runners Eric Gillis, Geoff Harris and Jenna Martin — will write a new chapter to an already compelling story.

Here are only a few of the most memorable Nova Scotia stories from past Summer Olympics:

Nancy Garapick supplied the best memories. Those who recall the 1976 Olympics in Montreal will remember what a stir she created, not only in Nova Scotia but across Canada. The image of the slight 14-year-old Halifax swimmer, such a contrast to the two hulking East Germans as they awaited the start of the race, will be with many forever. Garapick, who had set a world record the previous year, finished behind the two East Germans to win bronze medals in the 200-metre backstroke and the 100-metre backstroke. It was later revealed that doping practices were rampant among the East German women’s swim team. Though many believed Garapick deserved the gold medals, they were never changed.

Mike Forgeron of Cape Breton pulled off the rarest of Olympic feats for a Nova Scotian when he was part of the eight-man sculls crew that won Olympic gold in 1992 in Spain. That one win gave Forgeron a special place among all Nova Scotia Olympians.

After a considerable struggle to simply land a berth in the single sculls event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Robert Mills was a long shot to come near a medal podium. He surprised everyone with a bronze-medal performance.

Tracy Cameron didn’t take up the sport of rowing until she was in her twenties but quickly became one of the world’s best. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she won a bronze in lightweight double sculls. She would have been one of Nova Scotia’s best medal hopes for this Olympics but, due to problems with her rowing partner, opted not to participate.

Aileen Meagher is best known in Nova Scotia today as the former runner whose name heads the province’s most prestigious track event. It’s a worthy honour. Yet Meagher, a late bloomer as a track star, was an Olympian way back in 1932. She not only competed at the historic 1936 Olympics in Berlin but won an Olympic bronze in the 400-yard relay.

A sport at which Nova Scotians have been and continue to be most prominent is paddling. Chris Hook at the 1968 Olympics and Ann Dodge at the 1976 Olympics were a pair of the early Nova Scotia trailblazers. The most familiar wave saw the likes of bronze-medal winner Steve Giles participate in four Olympics and Karen Furneaux compete in three. With three paddling members on the present Olympic team, it remains a powerhouse sport locally.

The sport where the province has had past success but faces a less prosperous future could be boxing.

Heavyweight Carroll Morgan, who didn’t become involved in boxing until age 20, was a hit at the ’72 Munich Olympics, losing out in the quarter-finals. Light middleweight Ray Downey won bronze at the 1988 Olympics. And in 1996, David Defiagbon won silver in the heavyweight division.

(cochrane@herald.ca)