Women’s basketball roster set
TORONTO– The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Basketball announced 12 basketball players nominated to the Canadian Olympic Team for London 2012 after the women’s senior national team locked up an Olympic berth in Turkey this past weekend.
The nominees included: Natalie Achonwa, Chelsea Aubry, Miranda Ayim, Teresa Gabriele, Lizanne Murphy, Krista Phillips, Courtney Pilypaitis, Michelle Plouffe, Kim Smith, Alisha Tatham, Tamara Tatham and Shona Thorburn.
“These young women showed so much heart and perseverance to qualify for London,” said Canadian Olympic Team Chef de Mission for London 2012, Mark Tewksbury. “They have truly given their everything to represent their country at the Olympic Games.”
“We are very proud of our senior women’s team’s Olympic qualification which is a culmination of many years of work by so many people,” said Denise Dignard, Canada Basketball’s Director, Women’s High Performance. “Our senior national team head coach, Allison McNeill and her coaching and support staff, have been very focused on this objective and their determination has paid off. This is also a collaborative effort of many coaches who have worked together to help develop the younger generation of players into multi-skilled players. We hope that this will inspire the next generation of players and get more coaches working towards the long-term development of our young Canadian women.”
“This the well-deserved result of many years of dedication and sacrifice by the entire team, both players and coaching staff,” said Michele O’Keefe, Executive Director, Canada Basketball. “This success reflects the growth and direction that we have planned for Canada Basketball. We strive for excellence and by qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Senior Women’s team has shown that they are ready to compete on the most prestigious international stage.”
“The 2012 Canadian Olympic Team grows with each passing day,” said Marcel Aubut, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. “It is exciting to see these exceptional athletes come through under such pressure and earn the right to call themselves Olympians.”
