Were you surprised about Marion Jones admitting to being on THG? Yes 18% No 82% Total votes: 97

January 16 2008

I would like to first off mention that I am extremely sorry for the lack of updates and attention that has been given to this site as of the past 4-months or so. I My partner and I (Duane Wysynski) have taken larger projects that are not permitting us to update the site as it once was. I will be evaluating my time commitments for track and other projects in hopes I will be able to continue this site. Please if you have any comments e-mail me HERE and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

October 6

After a long hiatus

Derek Watkins of the Track Vault has returned to his duties as admin of the canadatrack.com website. After moving to Toronto to train full time, Watkins found some much needed rest from the site and has already started to work on a totally revamped design and outlook for the upcoming indoor season. Michael Leblanc has decided to join forces with Canadatrack and help with the design and flow of the new site. The new site will bring better navigation, more frequent and easier updates along with easier access to multimedia, interactive forum discussion and athlete blogs.

Stay tuned for polls asking the users what they want and need out of CanadaTrack!


October 1

Douma-Hussar Wins on Fifth Avenue; Christopher 3rd in Shanghai

Carmen Douma-Hussar may not have had the season she wanted, but she ended on a high note, winning the Fifth Avenue Mile in 4:22.8. It was the second time Carmen has won the race, and her time was the fastest since 1998. Alan Webb took the men's race in 3:52.7.

While the season's biggest events have wrapped up, several marquee athletes managed to make it to Shanghai to participate in the Golden Grand Prix. Tyler Christopher was the lone Canadian in attendance, running 45.20 seconds to take 3rd behind Jeremy Wariner, who led the field by more than a full second, and fellow American Angelo Taylor. Wallace Spearmon ran 9.96 to upset Tyson Gay in the 100m, and Asafa Powell took the 200m in 20 seconds flat.

September 24

Christopher Takes Silver at Surprise Filled WAF

In a championship or Olympic year, the World Athletics Final is often a bit anticlimactic for a couple of reasons. The obvious reason, of course, is that the major hardware for the season has already been distributed. Second, many elite athletes do not participate, either because they have finished their season following the major, or that have raced less frequently in training for the major and have not accumulated the points required to qualify.

One the thing the WAF does offer, however, is a chance for athletes to make a statement or to prove themselves if they felt their championship run did not go according to plan. A handful of Canadians were on hand in Stuttgart this past weekend, one of whom may have felt the need to make a statement. After a frustrating Pan Am final and a disappointing Worlds, Tyler Christopher came into Stuttgart on the heels of a pair of solid races in Rieti and Berlin. In Saturday's 400m final, Tyler split American medallists LaShawn Merritt and Angelo Taylor to take the silver in a time of 44.87. Tyler had finished 6th in Osaka, but came back with wins in Rieti and Rovereto, and a 2nd place finish at ISTAF in Berlin behind Jeremy Wariner.

After winning silver in Osaka, Perdita Felicien may not have felt the pressure in Stuttgart. In an ugly race that saw three disqualifications due to false starts, Michelle Perry of the US took the win in 12.68 seconds, while Perdita finished 4th in 12.83 seconds. Kevin Sullivan ran a strong race in the 1500m, finishing 5th in a time of 3:38.91, while Carmen Douma-Hussar finished 9th in the women's race in 4:08.33.

After an incredible, and somewhat controversial, world record performance in Rieti, Asafa Powell gained a measure of revenge following yet another disappointing performance in a  major with a 100m win in 9.83 seconds. Runner up Jaysuma Saidy Ndure of Norway provided a double surprise with a time of 10.06, and a 200m win in a solid time of 19.89 seconds, a full 0.36 better than his previous pb. Jaysuma competed from Gambia prior to this season. Dayron Robles provided yet another surprise in Stuttgart as the Cuban took the 110m hurdles title in a stunning 12.92 seconds.

September 2

Osaka Closes With Silver Medal for Reed

Gary Reed was the subject of some discussion during the recent Pan American Games in Rio. The topic was not his performance, but rather his absence, and the absence of a few high-profile athletes from the Canadian team. After today's silver-medal run in Osaka, Gary is certainly pleased with the decisions he made leading up to the event. After some quick semi-final races, the 800m final proved to be a deliberate and tactical affair. Gary led at the bell following an opening lap of 55.08 seconds. The finish was extremely close with all eight runners crossing the line within half-a-second! Gary was a heartbreaking .01 away from gold, as Alfred Kirwa Yego of Kenya crossed the line at 1:47.09. Even more heartbreaking was that Gary led for much of the race, only to be overtaken metres from the finish. This was Gary's first medal in major competition. He finished 8th in Helsinki and was 4th at last year's World Cup.

There was good news on Saturday, as well, as Chantel Petticlerc won gold in the 1500m wheelchair final. Her time of 3:37.10 was good enough to top Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland. Diane Roy was 6th. After the race, Chantel expressed frustration of the continued presentation of the event as a "demonstration", with results not counting in the final medal standings. It's tough to disagree with her. This event has been a feature in many World Championships, yet remains a non-medal exhibition sport. The truth of the matter, unfortunately, is that this is unlikely to change. The inclusion of the event, and others like it at past championships, is strictly public relations. It's the IAAF's way of showing that they "include" AWD athletes, without really included them. One must ask the question, what is the point of continue  this charade? From a certain perspective, it is actually insulting to many athletes, as AWD stars are paraded in front of the crowd like some sort of novelty act - an ingratiating gesture of enlightenment from an organization known for anything but. It's time to fish or cut bait. Either the event gains full medal status in future editions, or simply drop it from the program and develop a proper AWD World Championships.

Also in action on Saturday was Tim Berrett, who used a late-race push, despite sweltering heat, to finish a solid 19th in the men's 50km racewalk. While it was off from his 11th place finish in Helsinki, Tim was forced to make the best of a bad situation after receiving warnings for losing continued contact with the ground. At the halfway mark, Tim stood in 25the position before picking up the pace.

Friday was a bit of a struggle for Canadian athletes. Tyler Christopher ran in his fastest race to date but fell just short of a personal best. It would have taken a magnificent effort to beat American Jeremy Wariner, who looked like he was running in a different race entirely. He simply looks unbeatable at this point. Tyler finished 6th in a time of 44.71, and noted that a fast semi-final played a role in his finals performance. In the women's 1500m semi-final, Hilary Stellingwerf finished in 6th place, one place out from an automatic qualifier for the final. The men's 4x100m relay team, which had experience a renewal of sorts at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2007 Pan American Games, had a minor setback in Osaka, as a problematic exchanged resulted in a time of 39.43 and a missed chance of stealing a medal in the final. That would have proven a tall order, in any case, as the top four finishers would go on to post times under 38 seconds.

August 31

Long Road Back Yields Silver for Felicien

Canada's medal drought came to an end on Wednesday as Perdita Felicien ran a fantastic race to take the silver medal in the 100m hurdles. Defending champ Michelle Perry of the US got off to a blazing start, reacting to the gun in a mere .105 seconds (only .005 over the minimum allowable) and preserving her lead to take gold. Perdita was actually 3rd or 4th entering the final two hurdles, but pulled into 2nd place over the final 10-15 metres. While not the golf she wanted, it was a victory nonetheless as she ran her fastest time since 2004, the same summer as her ill-fated Athens final. Places 1st through 5th were separated by .09 seconds. Angela Whyte finished 8th in a time of 12.66. While she expressed considerable disappointment with her finish, it's worth mentioning that she was only .03 off her personal best. In fact, Angela has been a model of consistency all season, running a wind-aided pb at Nationals, and near-pbs at both Pan Ams and Worlds. She's also pb'd in both the 200m and long jump this season.

Also in the evening program, Tyler Christopher qualified for the 400m final in 44.47 seconds, while Brian Barnett missed moving on in the 200m, running 20.68. There was no Thursday morning session. In the evening, Gary Reed won the second to advance in the 800m, while Achraf Tadili missed the cut, finishing 5th in his race. Jared MacLeod's 7th place finish in the 110m hurdles eliminated him from contention. On Friday morning, Scott Russell was in action in the javelin, but did not qualify for the final after throwing 77.54 metres. After a great showing at the Pan American Games, Nicole Forrester struggled in the high jump, clearing only 1.84m and missing the cut to advance.

In the evening program, Hilary Stellingwerf and Gary Reed run in the 1500m and 800m semis, respectively. Tyler Christopher takes to the track in the 400m final, and the Canadian 4x100m team run their opening round against the likes of Great Britain and Brazil.

August 29

Whyte and Felicien Reach 100mh Final

Tuesday was bittersweet for fans of Canadian Track and Field. A pair of spectacular performances in the women's hurdles were tempered with an in-race injury to Adam Kunkel in the 400m hurdles finals. Earlier in the day, Tyler Christopher and Brian Barnett made good on their Osaka debuts. Tyler won his 400m heat in 45.15 seconds to advance, while Brian set a new personal best in the opening round at 20.31, then went through to the semi-final with a time of 20.41 in the quarters.

In the evening program, Angela Whyte and Perdita Felicien both finished 2nd in the respective semi-final races and will line up for the final in the 100m hurdles. Angela crossed the line in 12.65 seconds while Perdita ran 12.61. The news was not good for Adam Kunkel in the 400mh final. Coming off a win at the Pan American Games, and running well throughout the rounds, Adam felt strong coming into the final. A hamstring cramp during the early race, however, forced his resignation and prevented him from making a run for the podium. After the race, Adam noted his bitter disappointed and added that while he may not have been able to best American Kerron Clement, who ran a terrific 47.61 seconds for the win, he did feel capable of a 47-second performance. His injury is not a season-ending one, and he should be back on the Grand Prix circuit in September.

Wednesday's morning schedule featured Canadians in the women's 1500m and men's 110m hurdles. In the 1500m, Hilary Stellingwerf advanced with a 5th place finish in her heat in a time of 4:09.60. It proved to be the fastest of the three heats, giving those who finished a bit back a good chance to qualify. Carmen Douma-Hussar was not as fortunate, finishing 10th in her heat in 4:12.10. In the 110m hurdles, Jared MacLeod advanced after taking 5th in his heat in 13.61 seconds.

The women's 100m hurdles final takes place in the evening, along with the men's 200m and 400m semi-finals.

August 27

Kunkel into 400mh Final; Felicien and Whyte Advance

Three Canadians were in action for Sunday's evening program. Adam Kunkel qualified for what should be a fantastic hurdles final, finishing 2nd to Kerron Clement in the third race. Adam will be joined by Felix Sanchez and James Carter, among others, in Tuesday's final. Poland's Marek Plawgo led all qualifiers with a time of 48.18. IN the 100m semi-finals, Anson Henry matched his season best of 10.20 seconds, but fell just short of advancing. American Tyson Gay took gold in the final, as Jamaican Asafa Powell once again struggled in a major final. Diane Cummins also missed making the final, finishing 7th in her semi in 2:00.51. It was a ridiculous race in the third semi-final, where three women ran under 1:57.

Monday's morning session is complete, and two of our three hurdles entrants will be advancing to the next round. Perdita Felicien won her heat in a time of 12.73 seconds, edging American Ginnie Powell. Angela Whyte's time of 12.81 was good enough for second in her race, while Priscilla Lopes missed the cut with the best non-qualifying time of 12.94. Kevin Sullivan will compete this evening in the 1500m semi-finals.

August 26

Anson Henry off to Semis; Adam Kunkel Wins Hurdles Heat

Canadians had the morning off on Sunday, with no one slated to compete until the evening session. The evening will feature a few Canadians who advanced on Saturday night. In the 400m hurdles, Adam Kunkel ran 49.03 to defeat defending European champion Periklis Iakovakis of Greece. Adam will line up for the semi-final in lane 7, running against American Kerron Clement and Panama's Bayano Kamani. Anson Henry reached the semi-final of the 100m after taking 3rd in his quarter-final in a season best time of 10.20 seconds. Diane Cummins reached the 800m semi-final by virtue of a 3rd place finish in her heat in 2:00.38 seconds.

In the shot put final, Dylan Armstrong finished 9th with a throw of 20.23m, and James Steacy missed the cut for the hammer final, managing only 74.11m.

August 25

All Three Canadians Advance in Day One Morning Session

The 11th IAAF World Championships are underway in Osaka, Japan, and all three Canadians in action for the morning session have moved on in their respective events. It was a pretty uneventful opening round in the shot put, where Dylan Armstrong threw 20.07 metres to qualify for the final, which will take place in the evening session. Rutger Smith of the Netherlands had the only throw over 21 metres. Kevin Sullivan is threw to the semi-finals in the 1500m after running 3:41.39 to finish 6th in his heat. Anson Henry will line up in round two of the 100m. Anson fought a headwind of 1.5 m/s to finish 2nd in heat 5 behind Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago, running 10.31 seconds.

In addition to Dylan's final, the evening session also features Diane Cummins in the 800m, James Steacy in the hammer throw, and Adam Kunkel in the first round of the 400m hurdles. Adam has drawn lane 5 but will battle nonetheless with Periklis Iakovakis of Greece and Pieter de Villiers of South Africa.

August 13

Wright Wins Bronze in 100m; Smellie Grabs top 200m time in Semis

The evening program for the 12th began with a rerun of the men's 100m. Simeon Williamson of Great Britain, who had been relatively quiet throughout the opening rounds, exploded with a time of 10.22 seconds to take the gold medal. Neville Wright 10.37 to take bronze in a very tight finish for Canada's first medal in athletics at these games. Megan Brown ran a fine race in 4:13.12 as she finished 6th in the 1500m. Matt Lincoln finished 8th in the men's race in 3:43.18. In the men's 5000m, Geoff Kerr placed 18th in 15:05.53.

After the morning program of August 13th, Jamie Adjetey-Nelson sits in 7th place in the decathlon. After subpar showings in the high jump and hurdles, Jamie climbed into 6th following a 3rd-best placing in the discus. He fell back to 7th after taking 9th in the pole vault. The javelin and 1500m will conclude the program. Gavin Smellie will carry the top 200m time into the finals after winning his semi-final in 20.83 seconds. Gavin's top competition should come from South African Leigh Julius who has a personal best time of 20.44 seconds.

August 12

Canadians Looking for Hardware at FISU Games in Bangkok

The first three days of the athletics program are in the books at the World University Games in Bangkok, and Team Canada is still seeking its first medal in athletics. On day three Neville Wright, found himself in the midst of a controversy as three countries, including Canada, appealed the 100m final due to a missed false start. He seemed to have won the bronze, but the appeal was granted and the race will be rerun Sunday, where Neville is a strong contender for gold. Neville breezed through the opening rounds of the 100m, winning both his heat and quarter, and running the best time in the semis.

Michelle Moody cleared 1.80m in the high jump to reach the final, while Jillian Drouin missed the cut. Julia Howard had the second best time of the first round of the 800m, running 2:05.49. She will be joined by teammate Rebecca Johnstone who ran 2:10.23 to qualify. In the men's 800, Andrew Maloney had the 4th best time overall at 1:47.92. John Carle did not advance.

With day four partially completed, Jamie Adjetey-Nelson sits in 5th place in the decathlon after 3 events. Gavin Smellie ran a solid 20.81 in the 200m to lead all runners into round two. Andrew Dargie also qualified for the quarterfinals. Krista Woodward did not make the javelin final after throwing 51.30m.

Over the first two days, some Canadians had strong performances, but no medals were earned. Andrew Dargie had run a strong opening 400m, but did not qualify for the final after running 46.91 in the semis. Matt Lincoln advanced in the 1500m, while Geoffrey Martinson missed the cut. Michael Mason and Derek Watkins were disappointed in the high jump, failing to make the final with identical clearances of 2.10m. In women's events, Megan Brown ran a personal best of 4:13.54 to advance in the 1500m. Marie-Eve Dugas did not qualify for the final  of 100m hurdles after advances from round one. Kelsie Hendry just missed capturing Canada's first medal with a 4th place showing in the pole vault at 4.30m. 

August 1

Online chat changed

In order to use the online chat you will need to be registered with the forum and logged in to post a comment on the online chat.

July 28

Kunkel Sets National Record in Win; Metcalfe Takes Gold in 5K

The athletics program at the Pan Am Games resumed on Friday with Canadians reaching the top of the podium in two events. In the 400m hurdles, Adam Kunkel bettered his National Record, running 48.24 to take the gold ahead Bayano Kamani of Panama, and defending champ Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, who finished 4th. Adam led most of the race, relinquishing the lead briefly after hitting the 8th hurdle. Megan Metcalf took a different path to gold. It was American Catherine Ferrell who led most of the way, leading at all four intervals before being overtaken by Megan at race's end. He time of 15:35.78 was six-and-a-half better than he rival, who set a new best in the race. The Canadian men qualified for the final of the 4x100m relay, registering the fastest time overall at 38.81 seconds. The team of Richard Adu-Bobie, Anson Henry, Jared Connaughton and Brian Barnett beat the host Brazilians in the second heat.

In other events, Achraf Tadili finished 2nd in his heat and 4th overall to qualify for the 800m final. Despite having a better time than 3 qualifiers, Jared MacLeod did not advance to the 110m hurdles after finishing 6th in his heat in 13.78 seconds.

July 26

Two More Golds as Zelinka and Steacy Take Honours

Jessica Zelinka was one of a few Canadians entering Rio favoured to win the gold, and perhaps the only athlete entering as a clear favourite. After an excellent first day in the heptathlon, Jessica had subpar performances in the long jump and javelin, but ran a solid 800m to deliver on expectations, winning gold with 6136 points. One of the factors making Jim Steacy a force in the hammer this season has been his consistency. Jim displayed that consistency Wednesday in Rio when 5 of his 6 hammer attempts landed between 71 and 74 metres. His second throw of 73.77m was enough to top American Kibwe Johnson, who threw 73.23m on his last attempt.

The Canadian team also collected three silvers and a bronze on day four. The women's high jump was a battle between Nicole Forrester and Mexico's Maria Rifka, as expected, with Maria coming out ahead on countback. Both women cleared 1.95m, well ahead of the competition. Nicole's extra attempt at the final height made the difference. Tyler Christopher came out of the 400m blocks slowly after it appeared that there may have been a false start. There wasn't, and Tyler's hesitation may have been costly as he finished in the silver-medal position, two-tenths of a second behind Chris Brown of the Bahamas. There was also uncertainty of a different sort in the 100m hurdles, as a should-to-shoulder finish between Perdita Felicien and Jamaica's Deloreen London-Ennis had to be reviewed in detail before Deloreen was declared the winner. Both women ran 19.65, with Angela Whyte picking up the bronze in 12.72. After such a strong opening round, it may have been somewhat disappointing to have missed on gold, but Angela's prediction that both Canadian women would be on the podium held firm.

In the 400m hurdles, Adam Kunkel had the second-best time of the qualifying round, securing a place in the final with a time of 49.27. Brian Barnett and Jared Connaughton began their 200m bids with strong races. Brian ran 20.75 to win his heat while Jared ran 20.90 to finish 3rd in his race. Both struggled in the semis, however, and did not advance. Jared ran 20.85, one spot removed from qualifying, while Brian was right behind him at 20.89.

The athletics program resumes on Friday.

July 25

Cummins, Armstrong Collect Gold for Canada on Day Three

Diane Cummins won Canada's first gold medal in athletics at these games by capturing the 800m title in 1:59.75. Diane's time was a season best for her and was the only time under 2 minutes in the final. A men's gold followed shortly thereafter as Dylan Armstrong threw 20.10m to take honours in the shot out. Dylan faulted on three of his six throws, but his second attempt was good enough for first place.

Jessica Zelinka took significant steps toward another possible gold as she finished day 1 of the heptathlon in first place, 196 points ahead of her nearest competition. Jessica started the day with a best of 13.26 in the hurdles, and also had the top shot put mark at 14.97. Canadians hurdlers also set themselves up quite well as Angela Whyte and Perdita Felicien passed thought to the final with the top two best times overall at 12.68 and 12.69 seconds. No other hurdler broke 12.80, although the Jamaicans will be tough come the final. Tyler Christopher advanced to the 400m finals, winning his semi in 45.28 seconds. Nathan Vadeboncoeur did not advance. Esther Akinsulie and Carline Muir could not move through the opening round of the women's 400m meters, while Anson Henry ran 10.38 to finish 8th in the 100m final.

July 24

Tepid Opening for Canadians in Rio

Day 1 of the athletics program featured the race walks and women's marathon, none of which had any Canadian entries. On Day 2, several of our athletes were in action, with some pleasant surprises and a few disappointments. Tyler Christopher ran a light 45.99 en route to winning heat three of the opening round of the 400m. Nathan Vadeboncoeur also advanced to semi-final based on his time of 46.76.

Crystal Smith and Sultana Frizell finished 5th and 6th respectively in the women's hammer. Crystal's best throw landed at 64.78m, while Sultana threw 63.25m. Anson Henry had a solid day, finishing 2nd in his 100m heat in 10.37 seconds, qualifying for the semi-final. Michael Leblanc, who injured himself at Nationals, did not start. Anson's time of 10.32 in the semi put him shoulder to shoulder with the 2nd and 3rd place finishers, and allowed him through to the final.

Diane Cummins won her 800m semi-final in 2:02.80 to secure a place in the final. Dana Ellis, one of the favourites to medal in Rio, did not clear a height in the event.

July 13

National Championship Preview - Part 2: Saturday

(scroll down for WYC day 2 coverage)

Women's 400m hurdles

While this has been Mark Boswell’s domain in recent years, Jesse Lipscombe’s strong return may signal a changing of the guard. Former WJC gold medalist Michael Mason will be in the mix, along with Derek Watkins and Jeff Caton.

World Youth Championships - Day 2

Two Canadians earned places in the 100m final after Keynan Parker and Ian Warner both advanced in the morning semi-finals. Keynan ran 10.71 seconds to take 4th place in the first semi-final, while Ian finished an impressive 2nd in his race in a time of 10.78. Jamaica's Dexter Lee made himself the man to beat after running 10.46 seconds.

Lee made good in the final, winning gold in 10.51 seconds ahead of countryman Nickel Ashmeade. Keynan Parker wraped up an impressive showing in the event with a 5th place finish in 10.74, while Ian Warner took 7th in 10.81. Obviously this wasn't the desired result for either athlete, but it was certainly a strong showing as they joined the Jamaicans as the only nation with two 100m finalists.

It was a particularly painful semi-final in the 100m for Sabrina Nettey. Sabrina placed 5th in the first race in a time of 11.91, identical on the results sheet to the 4th-place finisher, but decided by thousands of a second. Loudia Laarman was also involved in a very tight race for the remaining qualifying positions, but finished in 7th place in 11.96 seconds.

Another personal best for Natalie Geiger as she ran 55.00 to finish 2nd in her 400m semi and qualify for the final. The first race was particularly fast, with 4 runners dipping below 55 seconds.

In the hammer throw, Angus Taylor threw 62.93m but missed out on the final. Shauna Malek's time of 1:03.20 wasn't fast enough to get her through as she finished 5th in her 400m hurdles heat. Ariane Beaumont-Couteau set a personal best in the pole vault at 3.65m but did not qualify for the final. Darryl Thomas has a difficult race in the 800m and finished 8th in 1:55.57.

July 12

National Championship Preview - Part 1: Thursday and Friday

Women's Heptathlon

Top 2007 Rank:         Jessica Zelinka

Predicted Podium:     Susan Coltman, Alecia Beckford-Stewart, Veronique Fortin

Spoiler:                     Jen Cotton

The women's heptathlon gold would begin and end with Jessica Zelinka, were she competing. And Jill Drouin would strive for a new pb, were she also competing. As it stands, Susan Coltman enters as the clear favourite and the only athlete seeded at over 5000 points.

Men's Decathlon

Top 2007 Rank:        Craig Slaunwhite

Predicted Podium:    Massimo Bertochi, Craig Slauwhite, Jamie Adjetey-Nelson

Spoiler:                    Lyndon McDowell

The men's decathlon is shaping up to be a tightly contested affair. Craig Slaunwhite and Massimo Bertochi are separated by less than 50 points on the performance lists. Lyndon McDowell and Jamie Adjetey-Nelson look to challenge for a medal as well.

Women's 100m

Top 2007 Rank:        Yvonne Mensah

Predicted Podium:    Toyin Olupona, Erica Broomfield, Yvonne Mensah

Spoiler:                    Sherine Wells

The women's 100m will be a tight race, but times should be modest. No one has run faster than 11.50 this year (only two have bettered 11.60). All of the top-ranked sprinters, save Genevieve Thibault, will be in Windsor, so whatever the times may be, the title claim will certainly be without question. Eric Broomfield has been quiet this season but may be the one to beat.

Men's 100m

Top 2007 Rank:        Michael LeBlanc

Predicted Podium:    Nicolas Macrozonaris, Emanuel Parris, Michael LeBlanc

Spoiler:                    Pierre Browne

Ask ten people how the medals will play out and you'll get eleven different answers. Mike LeBlanc has certainly proven himself this year with a spate of impressive times, including a legal 10.17 and windy 10.16, but it's hard to discount Nicolas Macrozonaris who always seems to bring his best race to Nationals, and his time training with the likes of Tyler Christopher and Adam Kunkel hasn't hurt either.

So let's get this on the record. The following are not reasons I'm picking Nic to win: East coast bias, West coast bias, French-Canadian bias, bias toward guys named 'Nic', bias against guys named 'Mike' or 'EJ', the Liberal Media, Al Qaeda, the rising costs of deregulated energy, vapour lock, and last but not least, a failure to recognize what Mike LeBlanc has achieved this season.

The reason I did pick Nic is a lot more simple and a lot less interesting - Nic has a habit of peaking at Nationals. For whatever reason, he gets up for it and strives to make it a high point of the season. Coming into Nationals with high expectations is a very familiar position for him (as well as for Pierre, which is why, despite his place in the rankings, he's my spoiler for the event). Mike, on the other hand, is wading into unfamiliar territory. At NCAAs, where the overall calibre is higher than Nats at this point, Mike entered in the background. He wasn't expected to perform as well as he did. In Windsor, however, he is being targeted as a favourite - he's wearing the bullseye and this will be the first time in that position, at this level.

No one, least of all me, doubts Mike's ability to win (or even EJ's). But, like a title fight, you have to favour the proven champ over the young upstart. It's up to the upstart to come in and take that title. It's been a long season for Mike, and he's achieved quite a bit. Nic, on the other hand, has built to this moment. With him not running the 100m in Rio, this will be a must if he is to go to Osaka. I'll go with the prediction I made - after all, what fun is there is going with 1-2-3 based on numbers?

Women's 1500m

Top 2007 Rank:        Malindi Elmore

Predicted Podium:    Malindi Elmore, Carmen Douma-Hussar, Hilary Stellingwerff

Spoiler:                    Megan Metcalfe

No fewer than 9 women have run under 4:20 this year. Malindi Elmore, Hilary Stellingwerff and Carmen Douma-Hussar have all run 4:05 or better and should find themselves atop the podium when all is said and done. Carmen's experience cannot be ignored, but Malindi added a recent 4:05 in Lausanne to show she is in top form.

Men's 1500m

Top 2007 Rank:        Kevin Sullivan

Predicted Podium:    Kevin Sullivan, Ryan McKenzie, Kurt Benninger

Spoiler:                    Matt Lincoln

Kevin Sullivan is the familiar leader and the rankings and should preserve that lead in Windsor. Ryan McKenzie is odds on for the silver, but the bronze medal is up for grabs among 5-6 athletes, thanks in part to Nate Brannen's absence.

Women's 100m hurdles

Defending Champ:  

Top 2007 Rank:        Angela Whyte

Predicted Podium:    Angela Whyte, Perdita Felicien, Priscilla Lopes

Spoiler:                    none

The question is less about who will win medals, but who will win which. Angela Whyte is clearly atop her game this season, and as such has to be the odds-on favourite. But Nats has been Perdita's territory for the past five seasons, and has performed well even when he season has been less than stellar. Still, money is on Angela to take her first title since 2001.

Men's 110m hurdles

Top 2007 Rank:        Jared MacLeod

Predicted Podium:    Jared MacLeod, Charles Allen, Kurt Jennings

Spoiler:                    none

As with the women's event, the medallists should be set. Jared MacLeod enters has a clear favourite with the top three times in Canada this year, but neither Karl Jennings nor Charles Allen are far behind, and both know how to win at Nationals. In the absence of Robert Charbonneau, no one can reasonably step up to spoil.

Women's 400m

Top 2007 Rank:        Esther Akinsulie

Predicted Podium:    Carline Muir, Esther Akinsulie, Jenna Martin

Spoiler:                    Sherraine Pencil

Jenna Martin's sizzling performance in Sao Paolo will no doubt give her a boost come Nationals. Both Esther Akinsulie and Carline Muir have run some great times, with Adrienne Power dipping under 52 seconds in Mexico. But Adrienne is not slated to compete in the one lap, leaving another spot open.

Men's 400m

Top 2007 Rank:        Tyler Christopher

Predicted Podium:    Tyler Christopher, Nathan Vadeboncoeur, Andrew Dargie

Spoiler:                    Keston Nelson

Historically a weak event at Nationals, the 400m has been getting stronger in each of the past 5 seasons. Tyler Christopher remains the overwhelming favourite. Two would-be medal contenders - Adam Kunkel and Brian Barnett - are not contesting the 400m. This leaves room on the podium for a host of young talent like Andrew Dargie, Nathan Vadeboncoeur and Adam Johnson. Veteran Keston Nelson cannot be overlooked.

Women's 5000m

Defending Champ:  

Top 2007 Rank:        Malindi Elmore

Predicted Podium:    Megan Metcalfe, Beth Wightman, Danette Doetzel

Spoiler:                    Andrea Grove

At Mount SAC earlier this season, Malindi Elmore ran the top time in Canada to date, taking 3rd with a performance of 15:12.12. When a friend was asked about her plans to race the event next, he replied, “probably at Mount SAC next year.” Clearly Malindi is a talent in the event and will be missed, but Megan Metcalfe has been strong this season and should ensure the 5K is well-represented.

Men's 5000m

Top 2007 Rank:        Kevin Sullivan

Predicted Podium:    Paul Morrison, Reid Coolsaet, Eric Gilles

Spoiler:                    Geoff Kerr

As with the women's race, the top performer in 2007 will not be participating. Without Kevin Sullivan and second-ranked Ryan McKenzie in the mix, Paul Morrison and Reid Coolsaet should decide gold between them. Eric Gilles will certainly threaten with Kip Kangogo (ineligible to medal) helping to set a strong pace.

Women's Pole Vault

Top 2007 Rank:        Dana Ellis

Predicted Podium:    Dana Ellis, Kelsie Hendry, Carly Dockendorf

Spoiler:                    Gabriella Duclos-Lasnier

Dana Ellis leads the way in the rankings but has been quiet since the early spring. Carly Dockendorf had a huge pb in early June, and Kelsie Hendry has been steady at 4.30m. A group of young vaulters led by Gabriella Duclos-Lasnier continues to improve, while veteran Stephanie McCann's absence will be apparent.

Men's Pole Vault

Top 2007 Rank:        Jason Wurster

Predicted Podium:    Jason Wurster, David Foley, Francois Thenault

Spoiler:                    Taylor Petrucha

It's hard to imagine Jason Wurster being upset in this one. Jason owns 5 of the top 6 clearances this year, and is the only vaulter to top 5.20m, which he has done on 3 occasions. David Foley owns the best 3 non-Wurster marks, with a best of 5.15m.

Women's Long Jump

Top 2007 Rank:        Alice Falaiye

Predicted Podium:    Alice Falaiye, Tabia Charles, Jessica Zelinka

Spoiler:                    Jillian Drouin

Alice Falaiye has a 20 centimetre advantage over triple-jump specialist Tabia Charles in the Canadian rankings, and is certainly no stranger to Nationals, making her the decided favourite. Resident-foreigner Ruky Abdulai will be there to keep everyone sharp.

Men's Long Jump

Top 2007 Rank:        Clayton Latham

Predicted Podium:    Clayton Latham, Christopher Greenaway, Nathan Labbe

Spoiler:                    Alberto Rodas

The long jump in Canada is not incredibly strong right now, but it is competitive, with a dozen jumpers lingering between 7.00-7.30 metres. Clayton Latham is ranked first and it is really the veteran's title to lose. High schooler Jeremy Lang has the 2nd best jump at 7.24m this year, but will not be at Nationals. No Canadian jumper has cleared 8 metres at Nats since Ian James jumped 8.02m back in 1991.

July 12

Four Canadians Reach 100m Semis on First Day of WYC

The World Youth championships began today in Ostrava, with Canada sending a large and very promising squad.

I actually think I'm going to make a research project out of lane assignments. In the opening round of the 110m hurdles, Simon Leveille drew lane 8 in his heat. Maybe it's just confirmation bias but the frequency with which Canadian sprinters have drawn lanes 1 or 8 in recent majors is staggering. Simon wasn't deterred, however, and ran a strong race to qualify for semi-finals. Point of interest: Simon was the only runner from lanes 1 or 8 to move on.

UPDATE: Simon just missed qualifying for the final, placing fifth in his semi in 14.16 seconds.

Sabrina Nettey and Loudia Laarman advanced in the 100m. Sabrina ran 11.84 to place 2nd in her heat, while Loudia also finished 2nd in her race at 11.82. The boys were just as successful as Ian Warner (from lane 1) took 2nd in 10.77 to go through, while Keynan Parker's 10.81 also placed him 2nd to advance.

UPDATE: Loudia and Sabrina will both be running in the semi-finals after a pair of 3rd place finishes in the quarters, and they will be joined by their male counterparts as Keynan took 2nd in his quarter with a pb of 10.61 and Ian was 3rd in his quarter in 10.77.

Natalie Geiger ran a very strong 400m to take 2nd in heat 3. Her time of 55.50 was a few tenths of a second off the lead. Alyssa Johnson pulled up in her heat. Darryl Thomas and Trent Sayers will run in the 800m semi-final, after Trent placed 2nd in 1:54.95 and Darryl was 3rd in his heat in 1:54,43. Jacob Smith will run in the final of the 2000m steeple after running 5:58.16 in the opening round. Genevieve Lalond will move on in the 1500m after running 4:31.14 in her heat. Amanda Truelove, however, missed qualifying at 4:34.76.

In the high jump, Michelle Theophille cleared 1.74m to advance, while Emma Kimoto was 11th in her group at 1.70m. Andrew Welsh had a good performance in the shot put at 17.54, but it was not enough to get throw. Zack Russell-Ford was 17th in group B. Alanna Kovacs finished 12th in her discus flight and did not advance. Wiley Collins's throw of 62.93m was solid, but not enough to reach the final.

July 9

Woods, Heaney, Asselin and Theisen Mine Gold in Brazil

Big things were expected from a strong Canadian squad sent to Sao Paolo for Pan Am Juniors, and they did not disappoint. Danelle Woods and Andrew Heaney picked up Canada's first gold medals on July 7, and Marie Louise Asselin and Brianne Theisen added a matching pair the following day. Brianne scored 5413 points to take gold in heptathlon, distancing herself by over 100 points over the silver medallist. Marie Louise had a strong race in the 5000m, running 17:40.28 to secure top spot by six seconds. She also took the silver medal in the 3000m on day one of the event, as teammate Jessica O'Connell won bronze. Danelle Woods put forth a spectacular performance in the 3000m steeplechase, wherein she not only won gold but set a Canadian Junior Record in the process. Chantelle Groenewoud finished 6th. Andrew built off a semi-final win in the 800m to take gold with a terrific time of 1:48.52. He was joined in the final by Darren Mazzei who also set a new standard at 1:49.17 while taking 4th.

Jenna Martin put up a superb performance in 400m to win a silver medal in a personal best time of 51.91 seconds, just behind Bobbygaye Wilkins of Jamaica. Canadian women captured another pair of medals in the 800m as Jessica Smith and Sheila Reid finished in the silver and bronze medal positions, respectively. Lindsay Carson added a silver in the 1500m with a time of 4:24.06. Jessica O'Connell was 4th. Gabriella Duclos-Lasnier cleared 4.15m in the pole vault to win silver. Heather Steacy won bronze in the hammer, throwing 54.49 metres. The women's relay team of Sarah Wells, Jessica Smith, Jenna Martin and Kimberley Hyacinthe were strong in the bronze medal position in the 4x400m relay.

In the 400m hurdles, Sarah Wells ran 58.26 seconds to finish in 4th place. Emily Sheppard took 5th while Madelaine Buttinger was 7th in the high jump. Myriam Dumont-Breton's personal best throw of 44.47m placed her 4th in the discus.

Justin Greif won a bronze medal for Canada on day one, throwing 18.20m in the shot put. He also competed in the discus where he placed 7th. Adam Johnson and Jonathan Charest finished 6th and 8th respectively in the 200m. Adam also took 6th in the 400m after running an excellent 46.77 in the semi-finals. Matthew Leeder took 4th in the 1500m, one place ahead of Justin Ducan. Matthew Bruce was 7th and Kyle Boorsma 8th in the 5000m. Matthew Hughes finished just outside the medals in the 3000m steeple. Tyler Fawcett ran 53.44 seconds to finish 5th in the 400m hurdles. Alex Wtimer was 4th in the high jump, and Deryk Theodore finished likewise in the pole vault. Kyle Nielsen was 5th in the javelin, Mark Cheney was a heartbraking 4th in the decathlon, missing the medals by a mere 18 points, and Inaki Gomez was 7th in the 10k walk.

Results from Europe in tomorrow's update.

July 6

Strong Results for Canadians in Ottawa, Lucern

Canada Day featured a number of solid performances at the Ontario championships in Ottawa. Running into a slight headwind, Nicolas Macrozonaris won the 100m in a time of 10.33 seconds, just ahead of Anson Henry at 10.36 and Neville Wright at 10.40. In the women's race, Krysha Bayley edged out Sherraine Pencil by 0.01 seconds to win in 11.84. Derek Watkins placed first in the high jump, clearing 2.10 metres, while Jason Wurster had a solid clearance in the pole vault at 5.25 metres. Five men went over 7 metres in the long jump, led by Clayton Latham at 7.34m. Tuning up for Pan-Ams, a 4x100m team of Emanuel Parris, Anson Henry, Jared Connaughton and Richard Adu-Bobie finished in 39.33 seconds. Sultana Frizell had another fine throw in the hammer, reaching 62.28m, and Rachel Lavallee set a personal best in the 5000m walk, finishing in 22:48:00.

In the junior events, Tyrone Halstead ran an impressive personal best of 10.53 into a headwind of 2.5 metres per second. Phillip Hayle also pb'd in finishing 2nd in 10.69 seconds. Matthew Leeder ran an 800m personal best of 1:52.43 and Tyler Fawcett ran 54.08 to take the 400m hurdles. Alex Witmer and Damian Warner had strong performances in the high jump and long jump, respectively. Sherine Wells was a convincing winner in the 100m and Simone Holder was tops in the 200. There were four personal bests in the women's 800m, led by Jessica Buttinger. Danelle Woods set a 2000m steeplechase pb at 6:38.47.

Abroad, Nicole Forrester cleared 1.90m to take 3rd in Dudelange, Luxembourg. Susan Coltman was 2nd in the long jump in Amsterdam. Aimee Teteris placed 2nd in the 800m in Malmo, Sweden, and Andrew Ellerton was 9th in the 800m in Salamanca, Spain on July 4.

A sizeable team was in Zagreb, Crotia for a Golden Spike event on the 4th of July. Adam Kunkel and Perdita Felicien had 2nd place finishes in the hurdles. Adam ran 49.73 in the 400m hurdles, while Perdita ran 13.27 in the 100m hurdles under poor conditions. Scott Russell placed 3rd in the javelin, throwing 73.33m. Nicole Forrester was 5th in the high jump, Priscilla Lopes was 6th behind Perdita, and Diane Cummins was 6th in the 800m.

One late report of note: There were several excellent performances in Lucerne, Switzerland on June 28. Adam Kunkel ran 48.84 to take the 400m hurdles, and Scott Russell threw 80.64m to take 3rd in the javelin. Gary Reed was 1st in the 800m in 1:45.61. Jared MacLeod ran 13.55 to take 4th in the 110m hurdles, while Jesse Lipscombe placed likewise in the high jump. Hilary Stellingwerf and Malindi Elmore finished 1st and 2nd in a near dead heat in the 1500m, running 4:11.10 and 4:11.17, respectively.

July 5

Championship Clock Ticking

The Canadian Track and Field Championships are a week away and there is much to be excited about as the nation's best assemble in Windsor. Although it's early in an incredibly busy season, there have already been plenty of pleasant surprises from newcomers to go along with solid performances from elite veterans. As in many years past, the men's 100m will be the blue riband event over the weekend. Former champions Nicolas Macrozonaris and Pierre Browne are confirmed, as are Michael LeBlanc and Emanuel Parris, currently ranked 1st and 2nd. Gary Reed and Achraf Tadili will battle in the 800m, with competition from NCAA champ Andrew Ellerton. The big three of Perdita Felicien, Angela Whyte and Priscilla Lopes will all be vying for the 100m hurdles title, while Carmen Douma-Hussar, Malindi Elmore and Hilary Stellingwerf try to hold off the young upstarts in the 1500m. Look for a full preview early next week.