Canada’s Tokyo 2020 athletics team announced

Athletics Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s athletics team nominated to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A total of 57 athletes will represent the country in athletics, including 33 women and 24 men.

Members of Canada’s athletics team earned their nomination for Team Canada by achieving the entry standard during the qualification period, or by their World Rankings position as of July 1, 2021. The 47 athletes nominated today join 10 others who were previously nominated in the 10,000 metres, marathon and 50-kilometre race walk.

“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 Damian 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.”

“I’m really excited for these Games. I think the extra year really did us some good,” said Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, who finished fourth at Rio 2016 in the women’s 800 metres, the best finish by a Canadian in the event since 1928. “It’s going to be my third Olympic Games; I’m really looking forward to getting to Japan and being in the Olympic spirit. I feel like it’s been so long since we’ve been able to experience that, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

This Olympic year has been like no other. Athletes faced significant challenges, including restricted access to training facilities, inter-provincial travel bans and a mandatory 14-day quarantine period if they chose to travel outside of Canada to compete or train.

Head Coach Glenroy Gilbert praised the athletes for their resilience and unwavering commitment to see their Olympic dreams though under challenging circumstances. “Our team has shown a great deal of determination to get where we are today. When faced with adversity, these athletes rose to the occasion, performed on demand and made the most of every opportunity they were given,” said Gilbert. “Athletics Canada is fielding a strong team, with significant depth in a number of events. In Tokyo, I’m confident that they will be at their very best and will make Canada proud.”

The Tokyo-bound squad includes 31 athletes with previous Olympic experience, 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. Malindi Elmore, at 41, is the oldest member of the Canadian team, while 21-year-old Lauren Gale is the youngest athlete on the athletics team heading to Tokyo.

Canada returned from Rio 2016 with six…