Posted: July 13, 2004

Athletics: Athletics Canada Names Olympic Games Team Nominees

(Ottawa, July 12, 2004) – Athletics Canada is pleased to announce its official list of 26 athletes who have been selected for nomination to the 2004 Olympic Games team.

Made up of 14 men and 12 women, including three athletes with a disability who will compete in the wheelchair demonstration event, team members have had to meet a series of tough performance standards during certain time periods over the past year in order to be considered for selection to the team in an individual event.  Depending on the event, the majority of the nominees also had to finish in the top four of the 2004 Canada Dry National Track and Field Championships which took place this past weekend in Victoria.

“This is an extremely well-prepared and talented team -- each member has had to repeat qualifying standards and show that they are in their best form before they go to Athens,” says Alex Gardiner, Athletics Canada’s chief technical officer and national team head coach.  “Everyone we’ve selected is a proven athlete.  We’ve been applying this same strategy for the team selection for the past two years and the athletes are definitely rising to the occasion.”

With a mixture of veterans and exciting young talent, Canada is looking to improve upon its last Olympic performance in Sydney where the team had seven performances in the top 12.

Team members are listed below:

Name, Age, Event, Hometown

Jeff Adams*	33	1500mWC	Toronto, ON
Richard Adu-Bobie	19	4x100m	Ottawa, ON
Charles Allen	27	4x100m	Brampton, ON
Courtney Babcock	31	5000m	Chatham, ON
Tim Berrett	39	50km RW	Edmonton, AB
Mark Boswell	26	High Jump	Brampton, ON
Pierre Browne	24	100m, 4x100m	Toronto, ON
Diane Cummins	30	800m	Vancouver, BC
Carmen Douma-Hussar	26	1500m	Cambridge, ON
Dana Ellis	25	Pole Vault	Kitchener, ON
Malindi Elmore	24	1500m	Kelowna, BC
Perdita Felicien	23	100m Hurdles	Pickering, ON
Martin Grenier	25	4x100m	Sherbrooke, QC
Anson Henry	25	4x100m	Pickering, ON
Priscilla Lopes	22	100mH	Whitby, ON
Nicolas Macrozonaris	23	100m, 4x100m	Laval, QC
Stephanie McCann	27	Pole vault	Richmond, BC
Emilie Mondor	22	5000m	Mascouche, QC
Chantal Petitclerc*	34	800mWC	Montreal, QC
Gary Reed	22	800m	Kamloops, BC
Diane Roy*	33	800mWC	Lac-des-Aigles, QC
Brad Snyder	28	Shot Put	Windsor, ON
Kevin Sullivan	29	1500m	Brantford, ON
Achraf Tadili	23	800m	Montreal, QC
Jason Tunks	28	Discus	London, ON
Angela Whyte	23	100m Hurdles	Edmonton, AB

*Wheelchair demonstration events

Team Staff

Name, Residence, Position

Jean-Guy Ouellette	Sherbrooke, QC	Head of Delegation
Joanne Mortimore	Ottawa, ON	Head of Delegation
Alex Gardiner	Winnipeg, MB	Head Coach
Larry Switzer	Winnipeg, MB	Team Manager
Derek Covington	Ottawa, ON	Team Manager
Les Gramantik	Calgary, AB	Team Coach
Martin Goulet	Montreal, QC	Team Coach
Glenroy Gilbert	Ottawa, ON	Team Coach
Daniel St. Hilaire	Montreal, QC	Team Coach
Jean Laroche	Sherbrooke, QC	Team Coach
Wynn Gmitroski	Victoria, BC	Team Coach
Georgette Reed	Edmonton, AB	Women in coaching apprenticeship
Ross Outerbridge	Kamloops, BC	Team Doctor – COC mission staff
Linda Thyer	Vancouver, BC	Team Doctor (Training Camp Only)
Garfield Crooks	Winnipeg, MB	Massage Therapist – COC mission staff
Marilou Lamy	Mont Tremblant, QC	Physiotherapist – COC mission staff
Wilbour Kelsick	Vancouver, BC	Chiropractor – COC mission staff
Penny Joyce	Ottawa, ON	Media Attaché

The team nominees were announced today at The RBC Breakfast of Champions which took place this morning in Victoria.

A pre-Games training camp will be held for the athletics team in Grossetto, Italy from August 8^th until the 15^th.  The track and field portion of the Games takes place August 20-29.

Final selection subject to COC approval.

For more information:

Penny Joyce                                         or                     Ivonne Shoucair            

Athletics Canada                                                           Athletics Canada

(613) 784-0013                                                              (613) 878-3861

pjoyce@athletics.ca                                                      ishoucair@athletics.ca