3 New Brunswick athletes competing at Rio Olympics

New Brunswick is in a Olympic medal drought, but there a few athletes with the chance to end that. Genevieve Lalonde, Catharine Pendrel, and Mandy Bujold will compete at the Rio Olympics. 

The last time a New Brunswick athlete made it to the podium at the Olympics was in 2000, when Stephen Giles took home a bronze in the Spring Canoe C-1 1000 metre. Four years prior, both Marianne Limpert and Gavin Hassett won a silver medal. 

Genevieve Lalonde — 3000-metre steeplechase ​

This will be the first Olympic experience for Moncton's Genevieve Lalonde, who will race in the 3000-metre steeplechase.

"To represent Canada, your home country, it really touches your heart," said Lalonde. "To have that Canadian flag on my chest, I'll be wearing it loud and proud."

To represent Canada, your home country, it really touches your heart.- Genevieve Lalonde

Lalonde has had a strong season so far. She broke the Canadian record this season in the 3,000-metre steeplechase.

"I've had some great competitions this year. I've been able to really show off what a young girl from New Brunswick can do," said Lalonde. "Every time I race I seem to find my ground a little bit better."

Lalonde will race is the first round of the women's 3000-metre steeplechase on August 13. If she is successful there she will race for a medal on August 15. 

Catharine Pendrel — mountain biking

Catharine Pendrel is the most experienced of the three New Brunswick athletes. The mountain biker from Harvey Station is headed to her third Olympic Games.

"To have the opportunity to go a third time and have another chance to have an amazing race and an amazing experience representing Canada, it feels pretty good," said Pendrel. 

Though this is her third competition, she has yet to make the podium. In 2012 she was a medal hopeful, but wasn't able to win. 

"You know when you're an athlete and you go out and you publicly say what you want to achieve and then you come up short, it's tough," said Pendrel.

But Pendrel bounced back. She won the world championship in 2014, then a silver at the Pan Am Games in 2015. 

Everything will come down to August 20 for Pendrel, when she competes in the one and only race for a medal. 

​Mandy Bujold — boxing

Mandy Bujold is hoping to an Olympic medal to her prize collection in Rio. Bujold, who grew up in Moncton, will be competing in the women's fly 51 kilogram boxing event. 

Bujold has been waiting to compete in the Olympics for a while now. The boxer missed out on the 2012 Olympics, the first time women's boxing was an official sport, because of the complicating system of qualification bouts. Since then there have been changes, and now she has a chance to win an Olympic medal. 

"It was really disappointing for me because I knew I should have been there. I was the best girl in my continent at the time and I didn't end up going," said Bujold.

"It was devastating, but I was able to turn that around and focus for another four years and now it's finally paid off."

Bujold won gold at the Olympic qualifier, solidifying her spot at the 2016 Olympics. She has won the gold medal at the last two Pan Am Games. 

The women's fly 51 kilograms event begins on August 12. The field of 16 will be whittled  to just two for the gold medal match on August 20.