Isabelle Charest

{{Short description|Canadian short-track speed skater}}

{{Expand French|date=May 2024|topic=bio}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Isabelle Charest

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MNA|size=100%}}

| image = Isabelle Charest, bureau de circonscription (cropped).jpg

| caption = Charest in 2023

| birth_date={{birth date and age|1971|1|3}}

| birth_place=Rimouski, Quebec, Canada

| death_date=

| death_place=

| profession=Athlete

| party= Coalition Avenir Québec

| office1 = Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Brome-Missisquoi

| term_start1= October 1, 2018

| term_end1=

| predecessor1= Pierre Paradis

| successor1=

| residence=

| spouse=

| module = {{Infobox sportsperson|embed=yes

|medaltemplates={{MedalSport | Women's short track speed skating}}

{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}}}}

{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games}}

{{MedalSilver | 1994 Lillehammer | 3000 m relay}}

{{MedalBronze | 1998 Nagano | 3000 m relay}}

{{MedalBronze | 2002 Salt Lake City | 3000 m relay}}

{{MedalCompetition | World Championships}}

{{MedalGold | 1996 The Hague | 500 m}}

{{MedalGold | 1997 Nagano | 500 m}}

{{MedalGold | 1997 Nagano | 3000 m relay}}

{{MedalSilver | 1996 The Hague | 1000 m}}

{{MedalBronze | 1996 The Hague | Overall}}

{{MedalCompetition | World Team Championships}}

{{MedalSilver | 1999 St Louis | Team}}

{{MedalBronze | 1998 Bormio | Team}}

}}

}}

Isabelle Charest {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MNA}} (born January 3, 1971) is a Canadian athlete and politician.[https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/06/18/isabelle-charest-candidate-pour-la-caq-dans-brome-missisquoi "Isabelle Charest candidate pour la CAQ dans Brome-Missisquoi"]. Le Journal de Montréal, June 18, 2018. A short track speed skater who competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics, the 1998 Winter Olympics, and the 2002 Winter Olympics, she was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2018 provincial election as a member of the Coalition Avenir Québec.[https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-election-caq-rocks-liberal-stronghold-in-townships "Quebec election: CAQ rocks Liberal stronghold in Townships"]. Montreal Gazette, October 1, 2018.

In 1994 she was a member of the Canadian relay team which won the silver medal in the 3000 metre relay competition. In the 1000 m event she finished sixth and in the 500 m contest she finished seventh.

Four years later she won the bronze medal with the Canadian team in the 3000 metre relay competition. In the 500 m event as well as in the 1000 m contest she finished seventh.

At the 2002 Games she won her second bronze medal with the Canadian relay team in the 3000 metre relay competition. In the 500 m event she finished fourth.

Charest was the Chef de Mission for Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

== Controversies ==

In February 2019, Charest was criticized by members of the Quebec Liberal Party over comments she made calling hijabs a symbol of oppression. She said that wearing a hijab does not correspond to Quebec values and keeps women from flourishing. "For me, the hijab is not something women should be wearing because it does have, at some point, significance of oppression of women and the fact they have to cover themselves," she said.{{Cite web|url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/opponents-condemn-caq-minister-s-hijab-comments-as-clumsy-divisive-1.4284881|title = Opponents condemn CAQ minister's hijab comments as 'clumsy, divisive'|date = 6 February 2019}}