Sean McColl competes in lead climbingMIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images

Team Canada Athletes ready for New and Returning Sports at Tokyo 2020

During the Olympic Games, the world tunes in as athletes show off what they have been training for their entire lives.

Some have experienced the Olympic Games before. But for others, Tokyo 2020 will be the first time their sport or discipline will be included at the Games. And then, there are other Canadian athletes who have had a long wait for their team to qualify for Olympic competition.

Letโ€™s take a look at some of the Team Canada athletes to watch in those new or returning sports:

Softball

The sport made its Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996 where Canada finished fifth. After appearances at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, Canada achieved its best ever result at Beijing 2008, finishing fourth after a semifinal loss to Australia.

That would be the last time softball would be an Olympic event for the next 12 years. Now, with the sport being re-introduced to the Games, Team Canada is ready to compete on the Olympic stage once again, bolstered by bronze medals at the 2016 and 2018 World Championships.

RELATED: What are the differences between softball and baseball?

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๐˜ˆ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต I and we (@softball.canada) will NEVER FORGET. I am smiling from ear to ear because we just beat Brazil to qualify for the @tokyo2020 Olympic Games but there is also something super special about that moment. โฃ โฃ @kaleighrafter5 and I have been in the trenches with the National Team since…well, for me 2006, and for her 2007. Both of us maybe left for a year or two, but all in all…we have done some serious time together with the National Team. To witness her hitting the WALK OFF HOMERUN in the game that punched our ticket to the Olympics just makes me SO DAMN HAPPY ๐Ÿ˜ โฃWe were teammates in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and this is our LAST RUN together. So, to see her- a leader and a loyal veteran show up for our team in that moment, was the most beautiful thing. โฃ ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ, ๐˜’๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜จ๐˜ฉ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ฏโ€™๐˜ต ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ตโ€™๐˜ด ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ๐˜š๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜น! โฃ โฃ ๐Ÿ“ธ: @morganhenryphotography @newbalance @rawlings_canada #olympics #teammates #tokyo2020๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต #canada

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In the mix to be named to the 2020 Olympic roster are a few veterans from the last Olympic team โ€“ Lauren Bay-Regula, Danielle Lawrie, Kaleigh Rafter, and Jenn Salling โ€“ who have either stuck around or came out of retirement to make a podium charge in Tokyo.

โ€œI think it’s really important that we celebrate that it’s back. And in a country that absolutely loves the sport,โ€ Salling told Olympic.ca in December. โ€œIt’s going to be an unreal experience for the sport. And it’s just going to be awesome. They love softball and baseball over there.โ€

Baseball

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan, so itโ€™s no surprise that the sport is making an Olympic comeback at Tokyo 2020. A demonstration sport as far back as Stockholm 1912, it became an official medal event at Barcelona 1992 and maintained that status until Beijing 2008.

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As a kid growing up in N. Vancouver playing the game of baseball there was one player from our area that I heard about and sometimes saw on tv and his name is Larry Walker. He was a hockey player originally that had a natural ability to do some athletic things on a baseball field. With the fire of trying to learn how to play this game and a ton of hard work he became an exciting 5 tool player that his country and peers were in awe of. As the love of baseball grew inside me I remember that feeling of knowing that if Larry Walker can play MLB baseball then its possible for me too! Seeing him, finally get the recognition he deserves and be enshrined in the @baseballhall with all the greatest players to ever play the game is a day @baseballcanada, the @rockies, myself and the entire country of ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ will never forget. Thank you Larry for playing the game the right way! Such a hard nosed player who left it all out there, while doing it with such professionalism and class. Iโ€™m extremely proud to call you a friend. Youโ€™re such an amazing ambassador of the game to all Canadian kids from the past, in the present and for future generations to come! Thank you and a huge heartfelt congratulations Larry! โญ๏ธ @fergiejenkins you now have company! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ

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Canada competed in the last two Olympic baseball tournaments, placing fourth at Athens 2004 and sixth in Beijing. While no current major league players are set to be on the roster, some familiar names who frequently step up to wear the maple leaf are Michael Saunders, Dalton Pompey, and Scott Richmond, who were at the WBSC Premier 12.

Womenโ€™s Canoe

Tokyo 2020 will be the most gender balanced Olympic Summer Games ever. One change helping to achieve that is the introduction of womenโ€™s canoe events. Until now, women could only compete in kayaking, but at the upcoming Games, men and women will have an equal number of events, including two canoe sprint events and one canoe slalom event.

Canada has already locked up a spot in the womenโ€™s C-1 200m sprint event and qualification opportunities are still ahead for the C-2 500m sprint event and C-1 slalom event. Canada boasts two of the worldโ€™s best women in canoe sprint in Laurence Vincent Lapointe and Katie Vincent.

โ€œCanoeing is so Canadian already,โ€ Vincent told Olympic.ca. โ€œAll those pioneers that did a lot of that advocating before I even picked up a paddle or knew what the sport was, was hugeโ€ฆ Hopefully next year, we can be there as a strong Canadian team and if we can come back with a few medals, I think it’ll just be really awesome for sport and for the sport within Canada and the community around us.โ€

Sport Climbing

Sean McColl and Alannah Yip have earned the right to represent Team Canada in sport climbingโ€™s Olympic debut. The new Olympic sport will have one event for each gender, comprised of three disciplines: speed climbing, bouldering and lead climbing.

RELATED: Learn more about the three disciplines of sport climbing

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My best moment of 2019 was qualifying for The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 ๐Ÿค โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € The Olympics for me have always been a life goal. When I started climbing and for most of my career, The Olympics werenโ€™t even a possibility. At the end of 2016, that changed and I knew 2020 would be the first time Sport Climbing would be in The Olympic Program; I finally had my chance! Fast forward 3 years and here we are today, itโ€™s happening and I couldnโ€™t be happier! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € My words to you: โ€œenjoy the processโ€ โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € @adidasterrex | @scarpana | @joerockheads | @verticalartclimbing | @flashedclimbing | @perfect_descent | @CANFund | @visaca #verticalart #CANFund #TeamVisa #climbing #train #canada #instagood #picoftheday #photooftheday #athlete #igers #amazing #sports #fitspo #gymlife #power #fitfam #adventure #fitness #work #workhard #workout #strength #follow #ninja #gym #fun #olympics

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As president of the International Federation of Sport Climbing Athletesโ€™ Commission, McColl helped present the case for his sport to be included on the Olympic program, so he experienced a lot of feelings when that news was announced.

โ€œI was super happy about [it] andโ€ฆ it almost felt like a wave of nausea,โ€ McColl told Olympic.ca. โ€œI did really feel like a lot of the work we had done was really paying offโ€ฆ But all of a sudden, the sport that I had fallen in love with, I had now a chance to become an Olympian.โ€

Skateboarding

If thereโ€™s one skateboarder the world knows, itโ€™s Tony Hawk. But, there are a few Canadians you should become familiar with before Tokyo 2020, where the sport will make its Olympic debut. ย Among the Team Canada hopefuls are Annie Guglia, Matt Berger, Adam Hopkins and Ryan Decenzo. The sport has come a long way since its creation when metal wheels were attached to a wooden board. In Tokyo, the sport will feature park and street events.

RELATED: Learn more about skateboardingโ€™s park and street events

โ€œThe Olympics was never on my radar,โ€ Berger told Olympic.ca. โ€œFor competition events, itโ€™s always been X Games and street leagueโ€ฆ ย ย I just feel like it only makes senseโ€ฆ the idea of me doing what I love to do on a world stage where I could potentially be bringing pride to my country, I mean, I couldnโ€™t ask for a better situation really.โ€

Karate

With the sportโ€™s roots in Japan, it is only fitting that the centuries-old martial art would make its official Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.

RELATED: Learn more about karateโ€™s two disciplines

One of Canadaโ€™s top Olympic hopefuls is Haya Jumaa. who is currently ranked fifth in the World Karate Federation (WKF) Olympic qualification standings. She competed at the 2019 Pan Am Games, where karate has been included since 1995. โ€œNow I have a bigger goal, which I was always dreaming of and I wanted to do it for karate,โ€ said Jumaa, who has also competed internationally in taekwondo. ย โ€œI just focused on karate because, you know, I wanted to be at the top, not just like, top 10 or top five, I want to be like in the top number one ranked.โ€

Surfing

The extreme water sport is set for its Olympic debut in Tokyo. It will feature shortboard competitions, which is the highest performance surfboard. The sport isnโ€™t completely unfamiliar to Canadian athletes โ€“ seven surfers competed for Canada at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games, including Bethany Zelasko and Cody Young in shortboard.

โ€œI was like, โ€˜oh my gosh, by 2020, I’ll be 20 years old. I can surf in the Olympicsโ€™,โ€ Zelasko told Olympic.ca of her reaction when she learned surfing would be included in Tokyo. โ€œAnd I had so many people texting me and telling me that, you know, โ€˜you’re going to be there one day, like you can do itโ€™.โ€

3-on-3 Basketball

This action-packed sport is played on a smaller court with two fewer players than a traditional basketball game. With teams scoring on the same net, the 10-minute game is fast-paced. So, you wonโ€™t want to blink because you may miss a shot.

RELATED: FAQ: What is 3×3 basketball?

The Canadian menโ€™s team featuring Jordan Baker, Jordan Jensen-Whyte, Kyle Landry and Steve Sir, will be looking to punch their ticket to Tokyo at a qualifying tournament in May 2021.

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Roll ๐ŸŽฒ

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Artistic Swimming (Team)

After only qualifying a duet for Rio 2016, Canada will have a full artistic swimming team at Tokyo 2020. Jacqueline Simoneau is the only member of the squad with Olympic experience, but that means a young team is ready to make their mark in Tokyo, having won gold at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima.

Canadaโ€™s history in artistic swimming is a rich one, winning eight medals since the sportโ€™s Olympic debut at Los Angeles 1984 when it was known as synchronized swimming.

Water polo (Women)

Itโ€™s been a long time coming for Team Canada to have a womenโ€™s water polo team at the Olympic Games. The last time that happened was at Athens 2004. A year later, Krystina Alogbo joined the national team and finally 16 years later sheโ€™s anticipating her Olympic debut.

RELATED: Krystina Alogbo: Combatting racism and celebrating Pride while Olympic dream postponed

โ€œIt was like this big dream that youโ€™re in, youโ€™re stuck and youโ€™re not waking up kind of thing,โ€ Krystina Alogbo told Olympic.ca of when Team Canada qualified for Tokyo. โ€œI just didnโ€™t believe it, but yet, I saw that finally we attained that goal. Next goal is not just going to the Olympics, but itโ€™s being Olympic champions.โ€