Claude Pilon (born June 13, 1950) is a former

Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...

player and

wrestler Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...

. Pilon was raised in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, Ontario, attending St. Patrick's High School. He began wrestling in grade ten under high school coach Father Cassidy and won three CIAU titles while at the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...

, where he had to train on his own as there was no varsity wrestling team. A five national champion, Pilon was the heavyweight gold medallist at the

1974 British Commonwealth Games The 1974 British Commonwealth Games () were held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. The event was officially named "the friendly games". T ...

in Christchurch and won a bronze medal at the

1975 Pan American Games The 1975 Pan American Games, officially known as the VII Pan American Games () and commonly known as Mexico 1975 (), were held in Mexico City, Mexico, from October 12 to October 26, 1975, exactly twenty years after the second Pan American Games ...

. Pilon, a defensive end, played football for

Ottawa Sooners The Ottawa Sooners are a Canadian football team based in Ottawa. The team plays in the Ontario Football Conference of the Canadian Junior Football League. The team has achieved success during its play in the CJFL, winning a total of four Nationa ...

after high school and made a return to the sport in 1977 when he was signed by the

Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded on September 19, 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup cham ...

. He played 12 games in the

1977 CFL season Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic Repu ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilon, Claude 1950 births Living people Canadian male sport wrestlers Canadian football people from Ottawa Canadian football defensive linemen Ottawa Rough Riders players Ottawa Gee-Gees players Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada Commonwealth Games gold medallists in wrestling Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Canada Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in wrestling Wrestlers at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Wrestlers at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada Pan American Games bronze medalists in wrestling Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games Wrestlers at the 1975 Pan American Games 20th-century Canadian sportsmen