Canadian track team hopeful of medals

The Canadian track and field team bound for the Tokyo Olympics includes “a handful of people” capable of landing on the podium.

That from Athletics Canada head coach Glenroy Gilbert, who leads a team of 57 athletes, down slightly from the all-time high of 65 at Rio 2016, where Canadians won six medals.

“We know there is a handful of people who, if they have a good day and are able to kind of put things together, could end up on the podium,” Gilbert said last week. “But these are a bit of a delayed Games so it's hard to really tell.”

On the men's side, the most likely medal hopes rest with decathlete Damian Warner of London, Ont., sprinter Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., distance runners Mo Ahmed (St. Catharines, Ont.) and Justyn Knight (Toronto), race walker Evan Dunfee of Richmond, B.C., and the 4x100-metre relay team.

“From a talent standpoint, from a speed perspective, they're capable of being on the podium,” Gilbert said of the relay squad to be chosen from seven candidates. “They have the pieces. Now they just have to do the work and that's more of a challenge than anything else.”

In addition to De Grasse, potential members of the team include Toronto's Aaron Brown, who is also running the 200 metres, Bolade Ajomale (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Jerome Blake (Kelowna, B.C.), Bismark Boateng (Brampton, Ont.), Brendon Rodney (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Gavin Smellie (Brampton, Ont.).

There are 33 women on the team. Most likely to be in a final would be Toronto's Gabriela Debues-stafford in the 1,500 metres, Camryn Rogers of Richmond, B.C. in hammer throw, Alysha Newman of Delaware, Ont., in pole vault, Medicine Hat, Alta.'s Sage Watson in the 400-metre hurdles, Toronto's Brittany Crew in shot put, and the 4x400-metre relay team, which has qualified eighth overall based on a performance at the 2019 world championships.

The relay team will be drawn from a pool of athletes including Watson, Alicia Brown of Ottawa, Kyra Constantine and Natassha Mcdonald of Brampton, Lauren Gale of Ottawa, Noelle Montcalm of Windsor and Madeline Price of Toronto.

There are 31 athletes with Games experience. Kelowna's Malindi Elmore, at 41, is the oldest, with the 22-year-old Rogers the youngest.