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Three Canadian athletes running with flag

Athletics Canada selects 44 athletes to join Team Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games

UPDATED: July 17, 2019

Ottawa (June 26, 2019) – Athletics Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced Wednesday the 44 athletes who have been selected to represent Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games taking place in Lima, Peru, from July 26 to August 11. The team, comprised of 18 men and 26 women, will focus on contributing to the overall Canadian medal count and improving on its 27 podium finishes (11 gold, 7 silver and 9 bronze) from the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games.

The Canadian contingent heading to Lima features 17 athletes who competed on home soil in 2015 and 27 first-time Pan American Games participants. Of the 18 athletes who competed at TORONTO 2015, seven stood on the podium, including decathlete Damian Warner (gold) and steeplechaser Geneviève Lalonde (bronze), who hope to repeat or better their success in 2019 alongside their Canadian teammates.

“For me, the goal heading into every competition is to win. On the day of the event, it’s taking care of all the little things to make that a real possibility,” said Damian Warner. “Some of my top competitors in decathlon will be at Pan Ams, which will give me another opportunity to compete against them prior to the World Championships this fall. It will also serve as an opportunity to test some events and see what needs to be worked on or changed before my focus turns to Doha.”

The 2019 season has rejuvenated Lalonde, whose primary event is the 3000m steeplechase. 

“It’s been a really great year, my team has been extremely consistent with training and very diligent with recovery. I have also been rewarded with some amazing experiences at the World Cross Country Championships (Canada’s best finish by a woman since 2004) and Speed River Inferno where I set a new personal best in the steeplechase,” said Lalonde. “My goal at Pan Ams is to compete to the best of my abilities and to wear the Canadian singlet with pride. It would be great to upgrade my medal from 2015 and to see how fast I can run.”

The Pan American Games serve as a vital component towards development, as was seen in 2015 with breakout performances by Rio 2016 triple Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse (100m, 200m,  4x100m relay), world silver medallist Melissa Bishop (800m), world champion Shawn Barber (pole vault) and Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallist Derek Drouin (high jump). A total of 38 of 90 athletes from the 2015 Pan American Games team went on to represent Canada at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which means Canadians can expect to see a number of outstanding performances in Lima that will lead to positive results in Tokyo.

Athletics competitions will be held at National Sports Village (VIDENA) from August 6 to August 10, with the exception of the marathons (July 27) and race walks (August 4 and August 11) which will be held at Kennedy Park.

“Anytime you get to put on the Team Canada singlet it’s a special feeling,” said Warner. “When I first got into track, that was one of my biggest goals. Now, I’ve had the pleasure of representing Canada a handful of times and it still feels special every time.”

“I always tell people it’s like stepping into your superhero suit,” added Lalonde. “Wearing the Canadian singlet gives your performance a whole new meaning and ups the adrenaline, too. It is such an honour to represent your country with pride.”

The list of Canadian track and field athletes and coaches selected to the 2019 Pan American Games team includes:

Athletes

Name Event(s) Personal Coach Hometown Club Affiliation
Kelsie Ahbe Women’s pole vault Jim Bemiller Toronto, Ont. Unattached
Mobolade Ajomale Men’s 100m, 4x100m relay Kevin Lasure Richmond Hill, Ont. Flying Angels Track & Field Academy
Marco Arop Men’s 800m Ron Thompson Edmonton, Alta. Voleo Athletics
Ashlan Best Women’s 4x100m relay Gabe Sanders Guelph, Ont. Speed River Track and Field Club
Mathieu Bilodeau Men’s 50km race walk David Gagnon Quebec City, Que. Unattached
Khamica Bingham* Women’s 4x100m relay Dennis Shaver Brampton, Ont. Brampton Track Club
Jerome Blake Men’s 200m, 4x100m relay Tara Self Vancouver, B.C. Coquitlam Cheetahs Track and Field Club
Maïté Bouchard Women’s 800m Simon Croteau Sherbrooke, Que. Athlétisme Sherbrooke
Leya Buchanan Women’s 100m, 4x100m relay John Smith Mississauga, Ont. Unattached
Lindsey Butterworth Women’s 800m Brit Townsend North Vancouver, B.C. Coastal Track Club
Johnathan Cabral* Men’s 110m hurdles Tim O’Neil Peribonka, Que. Unattached
Keira Christie-Galloway Women’s 100m hurdles Hugh Conlin Ottawa, Ont. Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club
Rachel Cliff Women’s 10,000m Richard Lee Vancouver, B..C Mile2Marathon
Kyra Constantine Women’s 400m, 4x400m relay Caryl Smith Gilbert Toronto, Ont. Project Athletics Track and Field Program
Brittany Crew Women’s shot put Richard Parkinson Toronto, Ont SISU Throws Club
Evan Dunfee* Men’s 50km race walk, 20km race walk Gerald Dragomir Richmond, B.C. Racewalk West
Crystal Emmanuel* Women’s 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay Charles Allen Toronto, Ont. Flying Angels Track & Field Academy
Phylicia George* Women’s 100m hurdles, 4x100m relay Darryl Woodson Markham, Ont. Flying Angels Track & Field Academy
Liz Gleadle* Women’s javelin Laurier Primeau Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver Thunderbirds Track & Field Club
Travia Jones Women’s 4x400m relay Darryl Woodson Regina, Sask. Unattached
Geneviève Lalonde* Women’s 3000m steeplechase Dave Scott-Thomas Moncton, N.B. Speed River Track and Field Club
Pierce LePage Men’s decathlon Gregory Portnoy Whitby, Ont. Unattached
Rory Linkletter Men’s 10,000m Ed Eyestone Calgary, Alta. Unattached
Django Lovett Men’s high jump Zbigniew Szelagowicz Surrey, B.C. Kajaks Track & Field Club
Michael Mason* Men’s high jump Jeff Huntoon Nanoose Bay, B.C. Nanaimo Track and Field Club
Natassha McDonald Women’s 400m, 4x400m relay Wellesley Johnson Brampton, Ont. Project Athletics Track and Field Program
Sarah Mitton Women’s shot put Richard Parkinson Brooklyn, N.S. SISU Throws Club
Tim Nedow* Men’s shot put Darrin Reesal Brockville, Ont. Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club
Christabel Nettey* Women’s long jump Stuart McMillan Surrey, B.C. Unattached
Alysha Newman Women’s pole vault Doug Wood Delaware, Ont. Bolton Pole Vault
Jessica O’Connell* Women’s 5000m Mike Van Tighen Calgary, Alta. University of Calgary Athletics Club
Philip Osei* Men’s 400m Jason Kerr Toronto, Ont. Unattached
William Paulson Men’s 1500m Cory Leslie Quebec, Que. Club d’Athlétisme de l’Université Laval
Camryn Rogers Women’s hammer throw Mohamad Saatara Richmond, B.C. Kajaks Track & Field Club
Brendon Rodney* Men’s 200m, 4x100m relay Maurice Wilson Etobicoke, Ont. Unattached
Andrea Seccafien Women’s 5000m Nic Bideau Guelph, Ont. Monarch Athletics Club
Ryan Smeeton Men’s 3000m steeplechase Dave Smith Calgary, Alta. Unattached
Gavin Smellie* Men’s 100m, 4x100m relay Milt Ottey Brampton, Ont. Flying Angels Track & Field Academy
Aiyanna Stiverne Women’s 200m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay Ronald Morency Laval, Que. Unattached
Damian Warner* Men’s decathlon, 4x100m relay Gar Leyshon London, Ont. Unattached
Sage Watson* Women’s 400m hurdles, 4x400m relay Fred Harvey Medicine Hat, Alta. Unattached
Jillian Weir Women’s hammer throw Larry Steinke Kingston, Ont. Unattached
Natasha Wodak* Women’s 10,000m Lynn Kanuka North Vancouver, B.C. Prairie Inn Harriers
Regan Yee Women’s 3000m steeplechase Mark Bomba South Hazelton, B.C. Langley Mustangs Track and Field Club

*Represented Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games

Coaches and staff

Name Role Hometown
Glenroy Gilbert Team Head Coach Ottawa, Ont.
Charles Allen Team Coach Mississauga, Ont.
Kurt Downes Team Coach Windsor, Ont.
Heather Hennigar Team Coach Halifax, N.S.
Jeff Huntoon Team Coach Toronto, Ont.
Richard Parkinson Team Coach Stouffville, Ont.
Larry Steinke Team Coach Lethbridge, Alta.
Jessica Scarlato Team Manager Richmond Hill, Ont.
Andrea Stephen Team IST Lead and Physiotherapist Toronto, Ont.
Dr. Melina Thibodeau Team Physician Victoria. B.C.
Danielle Chow-Leong Team Massage Therapist Toronto, Ont.
Eric Corda Team Massage Therapist Sarnia, Ont.
Dr. Simon Pearson Team Chiropractor Victoria, B.C.
Dana Way Team Biomechanist Winnipeg Beach, Man.

 

Lima 2019, which will run from July 26 to August 11, will bring together approximately 6,700 athletes from 41 nations of the Americas and feature 62 disciplines in 39 sports. It will be the largest sporting event ever held in Peru.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Amanda Nigh, Manager, Communications and Marketing
Athletics Canada
T: 613-260-5580 x3307
E: amanda.nigh@athletics.ca 

Josh Su, Specialist, Public Relations
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-464-4060
E: jsu@olympic.ca

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