Posted: January 31, 2005

Athletics: Focus on IAAF World Athletics in Helsinki

An Important Year 2005 For Tadili And Mondor

Winter is under way in Canada while National Team member’s Achraf Tadili and Emilie Mondor are building up toward an important year on track. The two young runners from Montreal are focusing on next august IAAF World Athletics Championships in Helsinki as a step toward their future at the international level.

Both 2004 Olympian are now working together under the coaching advice of the 2004-5 Quebec’s coach of the year, Sylvain Lavallée (Montreal-Olympique Track Club). Mondor is also living in Burnaby, BC where she started working with National Team coach Marek Jedrzerek. Former Canadian national record holders, they are aiming for a progressive summer toward a long term career in the sport. Both athletes of Ray Flynn (Flynn Sports Management), they should be following the IAAF Athletics series in Europe and America including entrance to the prestigious Golden League which would be a new achievement in Tadili’s case.

Tadili, well-known as top 800m runner in Canada, will departed for his winter training camp in early February at the CREPS in France, Mondor will joined him for 3 weeks a month later. The usage of a milder place to train is incressively important in his case with the lack of proper facilities for a 12 months training routine in Montreal due to the weather. “This year will be the real start of my career; entries on the Grand Prix series should enable me to get ready for Helsinki,” said Tadili. The athlete is 24 years old and is viewed as one of the best upcommers in North America over 800m.

See www.achraftadili.com.

Mondor’s route have been somewhat different with her dual training site both East and West in Canada. She is used to Grand Prix meets but this year's changes in her main events might offer her a new path of races this summer. The 5000m National champion will be adding 10 000m on her profile and will be developing her long distance skills in a more specific way in 2005. Events like the Half-marathon might be in her reach soon enough too. “Since a long time experts in athletics have known that my best event might be the 10,000m and longer just with my endurance profile and genetics as well as the type of runner I am. I love the work involved in those events and prefer racing against myself then to get in the game playing (tactics) that you find in 1500m. I most enjoy road race too for the ambiance and the spirit of the community,” said Mondor. The athlete is 23 years old thus still in the developing trend for those events. Her goal in 2005 will be to get the National 10,000m record and to enhance the level in Canadian long distance running.

See www.emiliemondor.com.