Canadian Athletics Team Named for 2022 Commonwealth Games

OTTAWA - Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) and Athletics Canada today announced the list of 38 athletes who have been selected to represent Team Canada in Athletics at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, taking place July 28 to August 8, 2022.

Today’s announced athletes join the nine Paralympic athletes who had already been selected to represent Team Canada in Athletics at the Games.

“This is a very diverse group of talented athletes who have been selected to this team,” said Carla Nicholls, Para Head Coach and Lead of Para Performance at Athletics Canada. “I have no doubt that we will see some incredible performances from this team.”

The team size of 29 able-bodied athletes was dictated by a quota allocation from Commonwealth Sport Canada. Athletes were ranked and selected to the team based on their proximity, in World Athletics points, to the AC Ranking Standard in their respective event(s). The AC Ranking Standards were calculated using the average top-three performances among Commonwealth nations (limited to three per country) over the 2018, 2019 and 2021 competition seasons (COVID-disrupted 2020 season excluded).

Para-athletes, meanwhile, were invited by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) based on being ranked in the top-seven in the WPA World Rankings between December 31, 2020 to April 25, 2022 (max 3 per country, among Commonwealth nations). 

“Congratulations to the athletes named today to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” says Scott Stevenson, Executive Director, Team Canada 2022. “Qualifying for these Games amongst the challenging field was a great accomplishment. With 13 medals won in athletics at the last Commonwealth Games, we know this talented group of athletes will contribute greatly to the Canadian results in athletics this summer.”

At the last Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Team Canada was led by Alysha Newman and Christabel Nettey’s respective first place finishes in the pole vault and long jump, and came away with a total medal haul of two golds, six silvers and one bronze. On the para side, Alex Dupont won Canada the gold medal in the men’s 1,500m (T54), and Diane Roy earned bronze in the women’s 1,500m (T53).

In preparation for the Commonwealth Games, several Team Canada members will compete at the Bell Canadian Track and Field Championship in the Township of Langley, B.C. at the end of June, and then at the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon in late July. Para-athletes, meanwhile, had to make do without a World Para-Athletics Championship this year. Several team members instead competed in the Switzerland and Paris Grand Prix in late May and in the first week of June, and also plan to compete in Langley later this month.

The Athletics competition will take place at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham from July 30 to August 7, and feature 24 men’s events and 24 women’s events for able-bodied athletes. On the para-athletics side, there will be six women’s events and six men’s events: the 100m (T12), 100m (T38), 100m (T47), 1,500m (T54), marathon (T54), and the shot put (F38/F55).

Birmingham 2022 will feature 19 sports and eight para-sports as part of its program with up to 4,500 athletes taking part. The Commonwealth Games are the only multi-sport event that feature equal standing for sport and para-sport events, and these 2022 Games will showcase the largest para-sport program ever. In addition, for the first time in its history, the Games will feature more medal events for women (135) than men (133).

The Athletics team which will represent Canada at the Birmingham 2022 includes:

The Team's Coaches include:

*athletes named to multiple events will be communicated at a later date.

ABOUT TEAM CANADA 2022

The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be host to 71 participating nations and territories taking part in the Games. The Commonwealth Games are a valuable opportunity as a steppingstone and development opportunity for Canadian athletes, coaches, and managers working towards Olympic and Paralympic success. Canada’s performance projection in 2022 is a top 3 ranking, in total medals, amongst all nations and territories competing. Commonwealth athletes won 80%+ of Canada's medals at the 2020 Olympic Games 

Team Canada’s dedicated mission team will provide an optimal environment by celebrating equality, diversity, and non-discrimination. This is in support of our goals needed to enable a best ever performance by Canadian athletes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

ABOUT ATHLETICS CANADA

Athletics Canada is the national governing body of athletics in Canada which includes track and field, cross-country running, road running, and race walking. Athletics Canada is involved in many aspects of the sport at the local, national, and international level, providing the rules, officials, coaching education, sport science and athlete development, youth programs, masters competition, and an annual meeting. For more information, please visit www.athletics.ca

ABOUT COMMONWEALTH SPORT CANADA

Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth sport movement in Canada. CSC is an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community and supports Canada’s athletes to achieve excellence at Olympic, Paralympic Games, and world championships. The mission of CSC is to enrich the lives of youth across the Commonwealth and host the Commonwealth Games. CSC is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s participation in the XXII Commonwealth Games and will be sending a team of almost 400 of Canada’s best athletes and coaches to compete for Canada. The upcoming Games will occur in Birmingham, England from July 28 through to August 8, 2022. For additional information go to: www.commonwealthsport.ca. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Caroline Sharp
Media Attaché – Athletics -
Email: Caroline.Sharp@athletics.ca
(613) 323-5605
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Patrick Kenny
Communications Team Leader – Team Canada 2022
Email: patrick@commonwealthsport.ca
(613) 724-7160