Canada continues NextGen program

TORONTO Sarah Mitton is spending the summer in Toronto to train with one of the strongest groups of Canadian throwers ever assembled.

The 20-year-old shot putter from Brooklyn, N.S., has been identified as a “NextGen” athlete, and at Athletics Canada’s East Hub at York University, she has access to everything from top coaching, use of the weight room and track, sport medicine and science, down to nutritional supplements.

“Everything like that is covered, so your sole focus is just training,” said Mitton, who will compete at the World University Games this summer in Taiwan.

The federal government announced Friday that it has extended its commitment to athletes like Mitton, who are expected to reach their peak performances in 2022 and beyond.

The $5 million per year earmarked specifically for athletes known as “NextGen” is no longer limited to the initial four-year term pledged in the 2016 federal budget, but is now an ongoing, annual commitment.

“We identify high-performing athletes with the potential to have big success on the podium at international competitions five to eight years out,” Minister of Sport Carla Qualtrough said at Friday’s announcement. “It’s a real challenge to make ends meet as an athlete, especially when you haven’t made a national team, but you’ve gone beyond the provincial team, and you’re trying to figure out how you can bridge the gap between the provincial support you were getting and the national support you know you’re going to get.

“This is exactly the gap this money is trying to fill, so our athletes don’t quit because they can’t afford to keep going.”