Posted: July 28, 2009  :

Athletics: Athletics Canada names 31 to Berlin World Championships Team

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. "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 4x100m 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." The men's 4x100 and the women's 4x400 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 4x100 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. Name Event Hometown Coach Ruky Abdulai Long Jump Coquitlam, BC Jarrold Jones Esther Akinsulie 4x400m Ottawa, ON Hugh Conlin Dylan Armstrong Shot Put Kamloops, BC Anatoliy Bondarchuk Bryan Barnett 4x100m Edmonton, AB Quin Sekulich Nathan Brannen 1500m Cambridge, ON Ron Warhurst Jared Connaughton 4x100m New Haven, PEI Monte Stratton Reid Coolsaet Marathon Hamilton, ON Dave Scott-Thomas Sam Effah 4x100m 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 4x400m 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 4x400m Bridgewater, NS Charles Scarrow Carline Muir 4x400m Edmonton, AB Derek Evely Amonn Nelson 4x400m Calgary, AB Brenda Van Tighem Hank Palmer 4x100m Lasalle, QC Daniel St-Hilaire Adrienne Power 4x400m Halifax, NS Peter Lord Tara Quinn-Smith Marathon Toronto, ON Hugh Cameron Gary Reed 800m Victoria, BC Wynn Gmitroski Gavin Smellie 4x100m Etobicoke, ON Erik Jenkins Andrew Smith Marathon Toronto, ON Hugh Cameron Oluseyi Smith 4x100m 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   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.     Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest Check out our FrontPage for all the latest running and triathlon news.