30 Canadians to watch
Brooke Henderson, Andre De Grasse ready to take on the world.
Andre De Grasse Hometown: Toronto Age: 21
Event: Sprints With the story of his first run in basketball shorts and his astonishingly fast times to win the 2015 NCAAs, De Grasse became an overnight sprint star. He’s the first Canadian since the 1990s to run a legal sub-10-second time in the 100 metres (his best is 9.92) and the first to run sub-20 in the 200 (19.88). He’s already delivered on the world stage, including bronze medals in the 100 and 4x100 at last summer’s world championships.
Main rival: Jamaican world record holder and six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt. Mark de Jonge Hometown: Halifax Age: 32
Event: Kayak After missing out on qualifying for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics in longer kayak events, de Jonge found his niche with the introduction of the 200metre sprint. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games, went on to set the world’s fastest time (33.96 seconds) in the event and won backto-back world championships in 2014 and 2015.
Main rival: Italy’s Manfredi Rizza, who won three World Cup titles this year. Damian Warner Hometown: London, Ont. Age: 26 Event: Decathlon After a surprisingly high fifthplace finish at the last Olympics, Warner won bronze a year later at the world championships in this gruelling two-day, 10-event track and field discipline. At the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto he broke the longstanding Canadian points record on his way to winning gold and then, just a month later, broke it again, raising the mark to 8,695 points with a silver at the worlds.
Main rival: American world recordholder and 2012 champion Ashton Eaton. Brianne Theisen-Eaton Hometown: Humboldt, Sask. Age: 27 Event: Heptathlon Theisen-Eaton was the 2013 and 2015 world silver medallist in heptathlon and one of Canada’s best hopes for a medal in athletics. She set a Canadian record last year and has the highest points total (6,808) in the seven-event track and field discipline since the 2012 Olympics. She’s a medal favourite for Rio and is determined to make it gold.
Main rival: British 2012 Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Jennifer Abel and Pamela Ware Ages: 24 and 23 Hometowns: Laval, Que., and Greenfield Park, Que.
Event: Diving Abel made her Olympic debut in 2008 and won bronze in threemetre synchronized springboard diving in London four years later with former partner Emilie Heymans. Since then she’s picked up world medals in the individual event and silver at the 2015 world championships in synchro with her new partner Ware, who makes her Olympic debut in Rio.
Main rivals: China’s Shi Tingmao and Wu Minxia, who has won this event at the last three Olympics. Roseline Filion and Meaghan Benfeito Ages: 29 and 27 Hometowns: Laval, Que.
Event: Diving The long-time 10-metre platform partners won bronze in synchronized diving at the 2012 London Games and hope to move up the medal table in Rio, their third Olympic appearance. Together, they won gold at the last Pan Am and Commonwealth Games and were second overall in the 2015 and 2016 world rankings.
Main rivals: China’s Liu Huixia and Chen Ruolin, who won 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold with different partners in this event. Jasmin Glaesser Hometown: Vancouver Age: 24 Event: Track cycling Glaesser won bronze when team pursuit made its Olympic debut in London. Canada’s Glaesser and an ever-changing combination of riders have remained one of the most dominant teams in the world. In Rio, it’ll be Glaesser, Allison Beveridge, Laura Brown, Kirsti Lay and Georgia Simmerling looking for gold. Main rival: Britain, which stands just ahead of Canada in the world rankings. Shawn Barber Hometown: New Caney, Texas
Age: 22 Event: Pole vault Barber started jumping with makeshift poles when he was just 5 years old and has been the Canadian record-holder for years, taking the outdoor record up to 5.93 metres. But it was winning gold at the 2015 world championships that really cemented his status as a medal favourite for Rio.
Main rival: France’s world recordholder and 2012 gold medallist Renaud Lavillenie. Derek Drouin Hometown: Corunna, Ont. Age: 26 Event: High jump Drouin once loved to hurdle but his tall, lanky body proved better suited for high jump. He’s the Canadian record-holder with a history of delivering when it counts. He won Canada’s only athletics medal at the last Olympics, a bronze in a
three-way tie, and went on to win gold at the 2015 world championships.
Main rival: Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, a London bronze medallist and the most consistent 2.40-metre jumper. Melissa Bishop Hometown: Eganville, Ont. Age: 27 Event: 800 metres After a long injury-free career, Bishop was sidelined twice last year yet came back even faster to win the silver medal at the 2015 world championships and break the longstanding Canadian record. She broke the record again in July, showing that she’s only getting stronger as Rio, her second Olympics, nears.
Main rival: South Africa’s Caster Semenya, the 2012 London silver medallist. Kia Nurse Hometown: Hamilton Age: 20 Event: Basketball The six-foot point guard led the Canadian women’s team to a historic gold medal — Canada’s first at a Pan Am Games last summer — and scored 33 points against the United States in the championship game. At the Rio qualifying tournament she was voted most valuable player.
Main rival: The U.S., whose women’s basketball team has won five consecutive Olympic gold medals. Mandy Bujold Hometown: Kitchener, Ont. Age: 28
Event: Boxing Bujold is a 10time national champion and secured her 51kg Olympic berth by winning gold at the conti- nental qualifier. She won gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games, defeating the world No.1and the 2014 world champion along the way. Bujold and her 75-kg teammate, Ariane Fortin, are the strongest contenders to end Canada’s medal drought in boxing (1996, silver, David Defiagbon).
Main rival: Britain’s Nicola Adams, the 2012 Olympic champion. Catharine Pendrel Hometown: Kamloops, B.C. Age: 35 Event: Mountain biking Pendrel has been top three in the World Cup standings every year but one since 2008. She was the reigning world champion entering London 2012 but finished a disappointing ninth. In Rio, her third Olympics, she’s looking to finally step on the podium. She’ll be joined in the event by teammate Emily Batty, the 26-year-old from Brooklin, Ont., who won gold at the Pan Am Games.
Main rival: Denmark’s Annika Langvad, the top-ranked rider. Patricia Obee and Lindsay Jennerich Hometown: Victoria Ages: 24 and 23 Event: Rowing The lightweight double sculls team won silver at the world championships in 2011 and 2014 and earned its first gold together this year at the World Cup in Lucerne. Obee and Jennerich finished seventh at the 2012 Olympics, but with their current form and spectacular finishing kick, they’re favourites for gold in Rio.
Main rival: New Zealand, which won the past two world championships.
Brooke Henderson Hometown: Smiths Falls, Ont. Age: 18
Event: Golf Henderson was just 3 years old when she started playing golf and skipped university to turn professional in December 2014. She already has LPGA Tour victories under her belt and her win at this year’s women’s PGA Championship made her the first Canadian woman to win a golf major since 1968.
Main rival: New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, a19-year-old with 14 LPGA wins. Jen Kish Hometown: Edmonton Age: 28 Event: Rugby sevens Kish captained the Canadian women to the first Pan Am Games gold medal in their sport and she’s hoping to do it again in Rio, in the all-important Olympic debut of rugby sevens. In a tough season full of injuries, the Canadians still finished third and with their full squad back to health, Kish’s team should win a medal in Rio.
Main rival: Australia, the topranked team this season. Rosie MacLennan Hometown: King City, Ont. Age: 27 Event: Trampoline MacLennan won Canada’s only gold medal in London. The tricks in her 10-bounce routine are the hardest in the women’s field and that secured her world gold in 2013 and silver in 2014. But in 2015, coming back from two concussions, she had to lower the degree of difficulty and finished just off the podium in fourth. She’ll be looking to prove she’s back to her best form in Rio. Main rival: China’s world champion Li Dan. Antoine Valois-Fortier Hometown: Quebec City Age: 26 Event: 81-kg judo At the 2012 Games in London, where he won a bronze medal, Valois-Fortier became the first Canadian judoka to earn an Olympic medal since his coach, Nicolas Gill, won silver in 2000. He’s a two-time world medallist and ranked in the top three in his weight class, making him Canada’s best shot for a judo medal.
Main rival: Georgia’s Avtandil Tchrikishvili, the top-ranked 81-kg judoka. Ben Thorne Hometown: Kitimat, B.C. Age: 23 Event: Race walking Thorne switched from running to race walking in high school and surprised the nation by winning bronze in the 20-kilometre event at the 2015 world championships. It was Canada’s first worlds race-walk medal and he’d like nothing more than to repeat the feat in Rio — if he can beat teammates Evan Dunfee and Inaki Gomez, both strong in their own right.
Main rival: Too hard to say in this unpredictable event. Lesley Thompson-Willie Hometown: London Age: 56
Event: Rowing The legendary coxswain of the Canadian women’s eight made her Olympic de- but in 1984 and, with a silver in London, has won five Olympic medals. She’ll be looking for one more in Rio with rowers Caileigh Filmer, Susanne Grainger, Natalie Mastracci, Cristy Nurse, Lisa Roman, Christine Roper, Antje von Seydlitz and Lauren Wilkinson.
Main rival: The U.S., whose women’s eight haven’t lost a major event since 2006. Ryan Cochrane Hometown: Victoria Age: 27 Event: Swimming Cochrane is Canada’s most decorated swimmer with eight world championship medals, a1,500-metre freestyle bronze from the 2008 Beijing Games and a silver from the 2012 London Games. He’ll race the 1,500 and 400 in Rio.
Main rival: China’s Sun Yang, the defending Olympic champion in the 400 and 1,500. Christabel Nettey Hometown: Surrey, B.C. Age: 25 Event: Long jump Nettey started jumping to keep up with her older sister and last year set a Canadian record at 6.99 metres while announcing herself as an international player in this event. She won gold at the 2015 Toronto Pam Am Games and finished just off the podium in fourth at the world championships a month later.
Main rival: American Brittney Reese, the London gold medallist who posted a world-leading 7.31 metres this year. Monique Sullivan Hometown: Calgary Age: 27 Event: Track cycling At the London Olympics she was the lone woman on Canada’s sprint cycling team and made it to the keirin final. After a break from the sport, she’s back for Rio in the keirin and sprint, and she’s teamed up with former bobsledder Kate O’Brien in team sprint. She won all those events at the 2015 Pan Ams, finished fourth in the keirin at the 2015 world championships and won bronze at a World Cup event.
Main rival: Germany’s Kristina Vogel, who’s ranked first in keirin, second in sprint and was a gold medallist in team sprint at the London Games. Erica Wiebe Hometown: Stittsville, Ont. Age: 27
Event: Wrestling Wiebe won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and rode an 11-month streak of winning every tournament she entered until she lost her top spot on the team at the 2015 Canadian championships. She worked her way back and is stronger than ever in the 75-kg class, leading a team of six Canadian women expected to win medals in Rio.
Main rival: America’s Adeline Gray, a three-time world champion. Mohammed Ahmed Hometown: St. Catharines Age: 25 Event: 5,000 and 10,000 metres Ahmed was a young runner at the London Olympics and disappointed with his performance, but he’s come a long way since then. He smashed the Canadian record in the 5,000 this spring (13:01.74), won gold in the 10,000 at last summer’s Pan Ams and this year has shown increasing confidence and tactics in races against some of the world’s best. Main rival: Britain’s Mo Farah, the 2012 Olympic champion in 5,000 and 10,000. Brendon Rodney Hometown: Brampton, Ont. Age: 24
Event: Sprints Rodney was the breakout star at Canada’s Olympic track and field trials. He became the second Canadian ever to dip under the 20-second barrier in the 200-metre sprint, making him a valuable asset on Canada’s 4x100 relay team that includes two sub-10-second men, Andre De Grasse and Aaron Brown. If they can get around the track with the stick in hand and not step on the lane line, this should be Canada’s fastest relay team ever.
Main rival: Jamaican world recordholder and six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt. Richard Weinberger Hometown: Kitsilano, B.C. Age: 26 Event: Open water swimming As a 10-kilometre marathon swimmer, Weinberger has braved sharks and contaminated water to race against the world’s best. He won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and, after a few near misses — seven-tenths of a second off the podium at the 2013 worlds and onetenth of a second out of bronze at the 2015 Pan Ams — he’s looking to get back to the medals in Rio.
Main rival: Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli, a five-time Olympian and London gold medallist. Santo Condorelli Hometown: Kenora, Ont. Age: 21 Event: Swimming The Japaneseborn, Americanraised Canadian, by way of his mom, skyrocketed up the 100-metre rankings in 2015, his debut international season. His best time, which dips below the 48-second barrier, puts him in a select world-class group. He was fourth at the 2015 world championships and is a medal contender in Rio.
Main rival: Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, whose time of 47.04 this year is the fastest since bodysuits were banned. Emily Overholt Hometown: Vancouver Age: 18 Event: Swimming Overholt made her senior team debut at 16 and was the breakout star of the Canadian swimming team in 2015, winning a bronze medal at the world championships in 400-metre individual medley. She won three medals at the Toronto Pan Ams, including gold in 400 freestyle, but the 400 IM is her best bet for a medal in Rio.
Main rival: Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, the 2015 world champion in 400 IM. Tory Nyhaug Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C. Age: 24
Event: BMX Nyhaug ruptured his spleen for the second time just three months before he made his debut at the London Olympics. He finished 18th there and is hoping that by staying healthy — no easy feat in this sport — he can get to the podium in Rio. He won gold in Toronto last summer at the Pan Am Games.
Main rival: The Netherlands’ Niek Kimmann, the reigning world champion.