Frank McLaughlin and his brother Terry took up sailing at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and, in 1984, were both selected to represent Canada at that year’s Summer Olympics. Terry won a silver medal in the Flying Dutchman class while Frank, with Martin Tenhove, finished 15th in the 470 event. They following year Frank partnered with John Millen, switched to the Flying Dutchman class, and placed second at the European Championships. In 1986 they came in third at both the World Championships and the Goodwill Games and, a year later, won the Canadian Olympic trials after finishing first in seven of the nine races. After a fifth-place finish at the 1988 World Championships, the Canadians took on the Summer Games and were fourth after the sixth, and penultimate, race. They won the final event, however, while third-ranked New Zealand came in tenth and dropped below both Canada and Israel, giving the McLaughlin and Millen the bronze medal.
After the Games, McLaughlin shifted focus to his law career, having graduated from the University of Toronto’s law school earlier that year. He continued sailing, however, and was selected in 1992 (along with Millen) to represent Canada once more at the Olympics. After a ninth-place finish at the Games, he transitioned into full-time law practice and, as of 2013, is a partner in the Toronto firm McCarthy Tetrault.
Canada