FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2009
Dylan Armstrong
OTTAWA – Athletics Canada named today 31 athletes who will compete in the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany from August 15-23. At the same time Athletics Canada is also launching www.athletics.ca/berlin2009 featuring up to date information leading into and throughout the World Championships. Visit the site for all your event information needs including the schedule of events, results, flash quotes, the team media guide and the CBC broadcast schedule.
Ruky Abdulai
“The Berlin World Championships will be the first significant measure on our path to London 2012,” comments Head Coach Alex Gardiner. “Our top athletes including Priscilla, Dylan, Perdita, Gary, Nate and the men’s 4×100m team are showing good form and are in their final phase of preparation for Berlin; each are capable of a podium finish. Our next wave of young athlete’s is just as exciting and for them this is a chance early in the quadrennial to test where they stand.” Gardiner adds, “We expect improvement from all team members throughout the next three years and to be in a position in 2012 to challenge the podium in several events.”
Sultana signs autographs
The men’s 4×100 and the women’s 4×400 metre teams have both qualified to take on the world in Berlin. The men posted a seasonal best time of 38.62 at the Aviva Grand Prix in London this past weekend and the women’s team enters with a seasonal best of 3:30.85. The 4×100 team finished 6th at the Olympic Games last summer.
Canada also qualified a team entry in the men’s Marathon World Cup being contested within the 12th World Championships in Athletics.
Gary Reed
2009 IAAF World Championships Team
Name Event Hometown Coach
Ruky Abdulai Long Jump Coquitlam, BC Jarrold Jones
Esther Akinsulie 4×400m Ottawa, ON Hugh Conlin
Dylan Armstrong Shot Put Kamloops, BC Anatoliy Bondarchuk
Bryan Barnett 4×100m Edmonton, AB Quin Sekulich
Nathan Brannen 1500m Cambridge, ON Ron Warhurst
Jared Connaughton 4×100m New Haven, PEI Monte Stratton
Reid Coolsaet Marathon Hamilton, ON Dave Scott-Thomas
Sam Effah 4×100m Calgary, AB Brenda Van Tighem
Alice Falaiye Long Jump Mississauga, ON Marc Christie
Perdita Felicien 100m Hurdles Pickering, ON Gary Winckler
Sultana Frizell Hammer Throw Perth, ON Anatoliy Bondarchuk
Kelsie Hendry Pole Vault Saskatoon, SK Rick & Susanne Petrucha
Kimberly Hyacinthe 4×400m Lachenaie, QC Daniel St-Hilaire
Jennifer Joyce Hammer Throw Kamloops, BC Anatoliy Bondarchuk
Rachel Lavallée 20km Racewalk Peterborough, ON Stafford Whalen
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep 100m Hurdles Whitby, ON Anthony McCleary
Giitah Macharia Marathon Oakville, ON Steven Keating
Jenna Martin 4×400m Bridgewater, NS Charles Scarrow
Carline Muir 4×400m Edmonton, AB Derek Evely
Amonn Nelson 4×400m Calgary, AB Brenda Van Tighem
Hank Palmer 4×100m Lasalle, QC Daniel St-Hilaire
Adrienne Power 4×400m Halifax, NS Peter Lord
Tara Quinn-Smith Marathon Toronto, ON Hugh Cameron
Gary Reed 800m Victoria, BC Wynn Gmitroski
Gavin Smellie 4×100m Etobicoke, ON Erik Jenkins
Andrew Smith Marathon Toronto, ON Hugh Cameron
Oluseyi Smith 4×100m Ottawa, ON Glenroy Gilbert
Brianne Theisen Heptathlon Humboldt, SK Todd Johnston
Robin Watson 3000m Steeplechase London, ON Dave Scott-Thomas
Angela Whyte 100m Hurdles Edmonton, AB Wayne Phipps
Dylan Wykes Marathon Kingston, ON Steve Boyd
Jennifer Joyce
Canada has captured medals at the last three World Championships; most recently two silver medals in Osaka, Japan in 2007 won by Perdita Felicien and Gary Reed in the 100 metre hurdles and 800 metres respectively. Overall Canadian teams have won medals at eight of the eleven Worlds; the highlight being the 1995 edition with two golds, one silver and one bronze for a total of four medals.
-AC-
Mathieu Gentès
Director, Public Relations and Corporate Services
Athletics Canada
(613) 260-5580 Ext. 3303
mgentes@athletics.ca
Emily Hooper
Coordinator, Public Relations and Corporate Services
Athletics Canada
(613) 260-5580 Ext. 3332
ehooper@athletics.ca
