57 athletes nominated to Canada's Olympic track & field team
Canada's Tokyo 2020 athletics team was unveiled on Saturday by Athletics Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
A total of 33 women and 24 men will represent the country, and include plenty of veteran stars as well as many up-and-coming athletes,
There will be 31 athletes with previous Olympic experience on this team, including one three-time (Michael Mason) and six two-time (Mohammed Ahmed, Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, Aaron Brown, Elizabeth Gleadle, Gavin Smellie and Damian Warner) Olympians. They will be joined by 26 first-time Olympic team members.
"I'm really excited to go to Tokyo. It's crazy for me to think that I went to the Olympics in 2012, 2016 and now I'm getting ready for my third Olympic Games," said Warner, who heads to Tokyo as the top-ranked athlete in the men's decathlon. "I couldn't be more honoured to represent Team Canada and to go over to Tokyo with this talented group.
"I will have Pierce [LePage] with me in the decathlon, which will be awesome to have a teammate in the same competition. I'm just really looking forward to going over there and competing."
Those named to the team on Saturday earned their nomination by achieving the entry standard during the qualification period, or by their World Rankings position as of July 1, 2021. In total, 47 athletes were nominated on Saturday, joining 10 others who were previously nominated in the 10,000 metres, marathon and 50-kilometre race walk.
WATCH | Meet Canada's track & field team:
Athletics will take place from July 30 to Aug. 8 at Tokyo Olympic Stadium, except the marathon and race walking events, which are being held Aug. 6-8 at Sapporo Odori Park.
Team Canada athletics roster for Tokyo 2020:
Mohammed Ahmed —St. Catharines, Ont. – Men's 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres (previously nominated in the 10,000 metres)
Bolade Ajomale — Richmond Hill, Ont. – Men's 4x100-metre relay
Marco Arop — Edmonton – Men's 800 metres
Mathieu Bilodeau —Quebec City – Men's 50-kilometre race walk (previously nominated)
Khamica Bingham —Brampton, Ont. – Women's 100 metres
Melissa Bishop-Nriagu —Eganville, Ont. – Women's 800 metres
Jerome Blake —Kelowna, B.C. – Men's 4x100-metre relay
Bismark Boateng —Brampton, Ont. – Men's 100 metres and 4x100-metre relay
Aaron Brown —Toronto – Men's 200 metres and 4x100-metre relay
Alicia Brown —Ottawa – Women's 4x400-metre relay
Lucas Bruchet —Vancouver, B.C. – Men's 5,000 metres
Alycia Butterworth —Parksville, B.C. – Women's 3,000-metre steeplechase
Lindsey Butterworth —North Vancouver, B.C. – Women's 800 metres
Kyra Constantine —Brampton, Ont. – Women's 400 metres and 4x400-metre relay
Brittany Crew —Toronto – Women's shot put
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford —Toronto – Women's 1500 metres
Andre De Grasse —Markham, Ont. – Men's 100 metres, 200 metres and 4x100-metre relay
Evan Dunfee —Richmond, B.C. – Men's 50-kilometre race walk (previously nominated)
Georgia Ellenwood —Langley, B.C. – Women's heptathlon
Malindi Elmore —Kelowna, B.C. – Women's marathon (previously nominated)
Crystal Emmanuel —Toronto — Women's 100 metres and 200 metres
Lauren Gale —Ottawa – Women's 4x400-metre relay
John Gay —Vancouver – Men's 3,000-metre steeplechase
Elizabeth Gleadle —Vancouver – Women's javelin throw
Natalia Hawthorn —North Vancouver, B.C. – Women's 1500 metres
Trevor Hofbauer —Burnaby, B.C. – Men's marathon (previously nominated)
Matthew Hughes —Toronto, Ont. – Men's 3,000-metre steeplechase
Madeleine Kelly —Pembroke, Ont. – Women's 800 metres
Justyn Knight —Toronto – Men's 5,000 metres
Geneviève Lalonde —Moncton, N.B. – Women's 3,000-metre steeplechase
Pierce LePage —Whitby, Ont.– Men's decathlon
Cameron Levins —Black Creek, B.C. – Men's marathon (previously nominated)
Django Lovett —Toronto – Men's high jump
Michael Mason —Nanoose Bay, B.C.– Men's high jump
Brandon McBride —Windsor, Ont.– Men's 800 metres
Natassha McDonald —Brampton, Ont. – Women's 400 metres and 4x400-metre relay
Sarah Mitton —Brooklyn, N.S. – Women's shot put
Noelle Montcalm —Windsor, Ont. – Women's 400-metre hurdles and 4x400-metre relay
Timothy Nedow —Brockville, Ont. – Men's shot put
Christabel Nettey —Surrey, B.C. – Women's long jump
Anicka Newell —Saskatoon – Women's pole vault
Alysha Newman —Delaware, Ont. – Women's pole vault
Dayna Pidhoresky —Tecumseh, Ont. – Women's marathon (previously nominated)
Ben Preisner —Milton, Ont. – Men's marathon (previously nominated)
Madeline Price —Toronto – Women's 4x400-metre relay
Brendon Rodney —Etobicoke, Ont.– Men's 200 metres and 4x100-metre relay
Camryn Rogers —Richmond, B.C.– Women's hammer throw
Andrea Seccafien —Guelph, Ont.– Women's 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres (previously nominated in the 10,000 metres)
Gavin Smellie —Brampton, Ont. – Men's 100 metres and 4x100-metre relay
Julie-Anne Staehli —Lucknow, Ont.– Women's 5,000 metres
Lucia Stafford —Toronto– Women's 1,500 metres
Kate Van Buskirk —Toronto – Women's 5,000 metres
Damian Warner —London, Ont. – Men's decathlon
Sage Watson —Medicine Hat, Alta. – Women's 400-metre hurdles and 4x400-metre relay
Jillian Weir —Kingston, Ont. – Women's hammer throw
Natasha Wodak —North Vancouver, B.C. – Women's marathon (previously nominated)
Regan Yee —South Hazelton, B.C. – Women's 3,000-metre steeplechase