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Athletics Canada names 18 athletes to World Indoor Championships team

On March 3, Athletics Canada announced the 18-member team that will represent Canada at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia from March 18-20. This team is made up of six men and 12 women who have successfully achieved the World Athletics Indoor standard in their event. Athletics Canada has chosen to send an experienced team, with 16 out of the 18 athletes selected having represented Canada on the world stage previously. 

Toronto native and Bowerman Track Club member Gabriela DeBues-Stafford headlines the team, sitting at fifth in the World Athletics rankings over the 3,000m and first in the 5,000m. DeBues-Stafford has had a remarkable indoor season, breaking the Canadian indoor 3,000m and 5,000m records in back-to-back weekends. In Serbia, DeBues-Stafford will be among those contending for a medal in the women’s 3,000m.

Canada’s 2021 Lou Marsh Award winner, Damian Warner, who won gold in the decathlon at the Tokyo Olympics, was also named to Team Canada, competing in the indoor heptathlon. Warner won silver at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in this event and he’ll be looking to upgrade that to gold in Serbia. 

That was the only medal a Canadian brought home from in 2018. Team Canada’s head coach Glenroy Gilbert expects this year’s team to contend for high placings across all disciplines in Birmingham. 

There are high expectations on what could be Canada’s best 4x400m women’s team ever, comprised of Natassha MacDonald, Lauren Gale, Kyra Constantine, Micha Powell and Sage Watson. The women’s 4x400m team finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and will be looking for redemption this time around in Serbia. 

Indoor Worlds Team (information via Athletics Canada)

Athletes

Bolade Ajomale (Richmond Hill, Ont.) – Men’s 60 metres

Cameron Proceviat (Burnaby, B.C.) – Men’s 400 metres

Damian Warner (London, Ont.) – Men’s Heptathlon

Ehab El-Sandali (Toronto, Ont.) – Men’s 3,000 metres

Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (Toronto, Ont.) – Women’s 3,000 metres

John Gay (Kelowna, B.C.) – Men’s 3,000 metres

Julie-Anne Staehli (Lucknow, Ont.) – Women’s 3,000 metres

Kyra Constantine (Brampton, Ont.) – Women’s 4×400 metres

Lauren Gale (Ottawa, Ont.) – Women’s 4×400 metres

Lindsey Butterworth (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Women’s 800 metres

Lucia Stafford (Toronto, Ont.) – Women’s 1,500 metres

Madeleine Kelly (Pembroke, Ont.) – Women’s 800 metres

Marco Arop (Edmonton, Alta.) – Men’s 800 metres 

Micha Powell (Toronto, Ont.) – Women’s 4×400 metres

Michelle Harrison (Saskatoon, Sask.) – 60 metres hurdles

Sage Watson (Medicine Hat, Alta.) – Women’s 4×400 metres

Sarah Mitton (North York, Ont.) – Shot put

According to Athletics Canada:

a second list of athletes who met the Athletics Canada indoor qualification standard in their respective events will be added to the team if they appear as “Qualified by Entry Standard” or “In World Rankings quota” on the March 9 World Athletics rankings list and the quota places remain open in their event.

The 2022 World Indoor Championships will kick off on March 18 and run until March 20.

(03/05/2022) Views: 1,527 ⚡AMP
by Marley Dickinson