The desert dozen: 12 Canadian athletes training with Altis
A look at the Canadian track and field athletes with Altis, the Arizona training group:
Andre De Grasse: The first Canadian to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres since 2000 and the Canadian record holder in the 200. The 21-year-old from Markham won bronze in the 100 and 4x100 relay at the 2015 world championships, and he just signed a multi-million contract with Puma.
Akeem Haynes: The fastest Canadian in a decade over 60 metres indoors. Now recovered from an injury that plagued him last year, the 23-year-old from Calgary is looking to show his speed over the 100 in an Olympic year.
Justyn Warner: A stalwart of Canada’s 4x100m men’s relay team. The 28-year-old from Toronto ran on the bronze medal-winning relay teams at the 2013 and 2015 world championships, as well as at the 2012 London Olympics where Canada finished third but was later disqualified for a lane violation.
Dontae Richards-Kwok: A 2013 world championship bronze medallist with the 4x100 relay team. The 26-year-old from Toronto is putting his focus on making the Rio Olympics in the 100 and 200 metres.
Christabel Nettey: The Canadian record-holder in long jump. The 24-year-old from Surrey has made big gains in the last two years and she regularly was in the top three at prestigious Diamond League meets last season. She was fourth at the 2015 world championships.
Tremaine Harris: A 2012 Olympian in the 200 metres. The 23-year-old from Toronto, who struggled to find his form in the 200 and moved up to the 400 last year, is back to focusing on the 200 and hoping to make his second Olympic team.
Shai-Anne Davis: A member of the women’s 4x100 relay team that qualified Canada for the Rio Olympics. The 22-year-old from Toronto was on the team when they broke the national record at the 2013 world championships and again at the world relays in 2015, where they finished fourth.
Audrey-Jean Baptiste: A member
of the women’s 4x400 relay team that qualified for the Rio Olympics. The 24-year-old from Montreal was with the team at 2015 world relays, where they finished sixth, and she competed in the 400 metres at the 2015 world championships.
Maddie Buttinger: A financial advisory specialist at Deloitte is on leave trying to qualify for the Olympics. The 26-year-old from Waterloo is hoping to make the points gains she needs to qualify for Rio in the heptathlon.
Jeremy Eckert: A high jumper looking to reach new heights to qualify for the Rio Olympics. The 25-yearold from Regina was a two-time Canadian university champion and came back from hip surgery in 2014.
Wayndale Bennett: A 25-year-old sprinter from Milton looking to regain the form he flashed in 2014.
Rohan Stewart: A good junior sprinter who is still looking to break through as a senior. The 25-year-old from Burnaby was a bronze medallist in the 4x400 men’s relay at the 2009 Pan Am juniors. Kerry Gillespie