'Something special happening' in Canadian track and field ahead of July's world championships & More News Here

“I think Canadian athletics fans, Canadian sports fans, should be excited going into this year. I think the Olympics in Tokyo were amazing for Canadian track and field,” mentioned David Moorcroft, a former distance runner and now long-time track and field analyst with CBC Sports. He competed in two Olympics for Great Britain.

“There’s confidence in Canadian athletics at the moment. And that’s a great thing. “It hasn’t all the time been there. It wasn’t all that way back that medals had been few and far between.

“There’s something special happening at the moment.”

Canada matched its medal haul from Rio, bringing house six medals from the Tokyo Games. The podium performances had been one factor, however there have been additionally 15 top-eight placings by Canadian athletes.

Canadians Andre de Grasse and Damian Warner had been topped Olympics champions in two of the marquee occasions of the Games — De Grasse in the lads’s 200-metre and Warner the decathlon. 

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Depth of expertise

Along with a silver in the 4x100m relay and a bronze in the 100m, De Grasse equalled his medal whole from his Olympic debut in Rio. The 27-year-old from Scarborough has gained a medal in each race he is competed on the Olympics. 

“He’s competed in six Olympic finals and has won a medal in every one of them,” Moorcroft mentioned. “The vast majority of athletes get one or two medals at the most. And they have to earn their stripes by competing and getting knocked out. But in his first Games he came back with three medals and did it again in Tokyo.

“My goodness, with regards to a championship he is aware of the way to get it proper.”

De Grasse will be competing in the first Diamond League event of the season on Friday, along with fellow sprinters Aaron Brown and Jerome Blake. The three of them, with Brendon Rodney, won silver in the 4x100m relay in Tokyo. 

The four sprinters hold the four fastest times in the 200m in Canadian history with De Grasse leading the way in a time of 19.62.

WATCH | Brown wins his 200-metre season opener in 20.05 seconds:

Aaron Brown closes strong to win 200m in Nairobi

The Canadian sprinter edged American Kyree King to take top spot at the World Athletics Continental Tour stop in Kenya. 2:45

But it’s not just one or two athletes carrying the load for Canada anymore. Moorcroft says there is a depth of talent across the board in Canadian athletics you don’t often see.

“It’s a beautiful story that is unfolding,” he said. “Winter sports activities are so vital in Canada and the nation does so effectively on the Winter Games, however it’s beautiful now that the summer time sports activities are having their second in the solar and celebrating unbelievable success.”

Moorcroft points to the evening in Tokyo when the Canadian women’s soccer team won gold and Mo Ahmed ran to silver in the 5000m. These are two events that are globally recognized and respected and people around the world are taking note that athletes from Canada have arrived. 

“There had been two international medals that night of the best, highest calibre. I hope Canada felt extremely proud that day. But it is about protecting that momentum going,” he said.

With a jam-packed Diamond League schedule looming and a world championship in July, followed by the Commonwealth Games in early August, Moorcroft says schedule and training management will be crucial this year for Canadian athletes.

World championships in July

He adds that Athletics Canada is creating an atmosphere of delivering under pressure in the biggest moments. 

“The skill to peak at a championship is essential. You can have athletes do splendidly effectively firstly of the season however for no matter purpose crumble on the championships. That appears to have modified for Canada,” Moorcroft said. 

Also competing for Canada on Friday in Doha are Django Lovett in high jump and Marco Arop in the men’s 800m.

Arop has been on a tear the past couple of seasons but finished a disappointing 14th in Tokyo. Moorcroft is expecting big things from the 23-year-old this season.

“My goodness, what a expertise he’s. Very courageous. He’s acquired the expertise,” Moorcroft said. 

Moorcroft said while he’ll be paying close attention to times and distances posted by the Canadian athletes early in the season, he doesn’t always put too much emphasis on what happens in May and June. 

With two major meets this summer, Moorcroft says thinking about the season in two chunks will serve the athletes well so they are able to rise up on the big stage. 

“I’m all the time somewhat apprehensive about performers competing rather well in May or June. They have to carry it collectively for the world championships and the Commonwealth Games,” he said. “It is not a straight line from the start of the season to the tip. There’s a peak, you then come again down a bit off that peak and then construct once more.

“In track and field the margin between failure and success is so narrow. And the margin between being your absolute best on any given day and falling off the peak is so delicate.”

But above all, Moorcroft says protecting the momentum from Tokyo going into this season and main into Paris 2024 goes to be key for this system. 

“It’s important to keep that energy going and it’s important to keep the success going,” he mentioned.