Monday, July 07, 2008 - 08:17 PM

WINDSOR – Athletics Canada announced today the names of the athletes that will be forwarded to the Canadian Olympic Committee for nomination to the 2008 Olympic Games team. The announcement came this morning in Windsor, Ontario at the RBC Breakfast of Champions.

The Canadian track and field team’s objective in China is to replicate the result of 2 medals achieved at the 2007 World Championships. Last August in Osaka, Japan Perdita Felicien of Pickering, ON captured silver in the women’s 100 metre hurdles and Gary Reed of Victoria, BC won silver in the men’s 800 metres.

Les Gramantik, Head Coach, sees the team as being very competitive and able to compete with the world’s best, “Based on its selection criteria, Athletics Canada has nominated the best group of athletes to represent the maple leaf at the Beijing Olympics. In six weeks these athletes will be asked to perform in the most competitive global sport under the world’s spotlight.” Gramantik adds, “I, along with the support staff, coaches and medical personnel, are excited to assist the athletes in their final phase preparation to achieve their individual goals, which will help us achieve our collective goals as a team.”

Athletes Nominated for Track & Field for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Name Event Hometown Coach
Ruky Abdulai Long Jump Coquitlam, BC Tom Dickson
Richard Adu-Bobie 4x100m Relay Ottawa, ON Glenroy Gilbert
Dylan Armstrong Shot Put Kamloops, BC Anatoly Bondarchuk
Brian Barnett 200m, 4x100m Relay Edmonton, AB Quin Sekulich
Tim Berrett 50km Race Walk Edmonton, AB John Fitzgerald
Massimo Bertocchi Decathlon Toronto, ON Andy Higgins
Pierre Browne 4x100m Relay Toronto, ON Kevin Tyler
Tabia Charles Long Jump Pickering, ON Desai Williams
Tyler Christopher 400m Edmonton, AB Kevin Tyler
Jared Connaughton200m, 4x100m Relay New Haven, PEI Monte Stratton
Nicole Forrester High Jump Aurora, ON James Henry
Sultana Frizell Hammer throw Ottawa, ON Anatoly Bondarchuk
Kelsie Hendry Pole Vault Saskatoon, SK Rick & Susanne Petrucha
Anson Henry 100m, 4x100m Relay Pickering, ON Dan Pfaff
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep 100m Hurdles Whitby, ON Anthony McCleary
Michael Mason High Jump Nanoose Bay, BC Laurier Primeau
Megan Metcalfe 5000m Edmonton, AB Sean Cleary
Taylor Milne 1500m Guelph, ON Dave Scott-Thomas
Carline Muir 400m Weston, ON Kevin Tyler
Hank Palmer 4x100m Relay Pierrefonds, QC Daniel St. Hilaire
Emanuel Parris 4x100m Relay Montréal, QC Kevin Tyler
Adrienne Power 200m Halifax, NS Peter Lord
Gary Reed 800m Victoria, BC Wynn Gmitroski
Scott Russell Javelin throw Windsor, ON Doug Reynolds
Jim Steacy Hammer throw Lethbridge, AB Larry Steinke
Kevin Sullivan 1500m Brampton, ON Julie Henner
Achraf Tadili 800m Laval, QC Brent Fougner
Angela Whyte 100m Hurdles Edmonton, AB Wayne Phipps
Jessica Zelinka Heptathlon London, ON Les Gramantik

Six athletes were granted extensions to qualify for the Olympic team based on previous international accomplishments. All six must achieve the required selection criteria by July 22, 2008 to be confirmed to the team.

Nathan Brannen 1500m Cambridge, ON Ron Warhurst
Dana Ellis-Buller Pole Vault Kitchener, ON Ty Sevin
Malindi Elmore 1500m Calgary, AB Mike Van Tighem
Perdita Felicien 100m Hurdles Pickering, ON Gary Winkler
Adam Kunkel 400m Hurdles Paisley, ON Kevin Tyler
Hilary Stellingwerff 1500m Sarnia, ON Dave Scott-Thomas

Track and field events begin August 15th at the Beijing National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, the stadium can accommodate 91,000 spectators.

The Canadian track and field team will hold a pre-Games training camp in Singapore beginning August 1. Athletes will fly from Singapore directly to Beijing four or five days before the start of their competition. The first wave of athletes will fly to China August 11 with the final wave heading over August 17.

Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for the sport of track and field, cross-country running, road running and road racing.

-AC-