Posted: February 15, 2006

Athletics: Canada announces XVIII Commonwealth Games Team

(Ottawa) – Athletics Canada is pleased to announce today the athletes who have been selected to compete at the XVIII Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games take place in Melbourne Australia from March 15th to 26th. Athletics competition kicks off on March 19th.

Head Coach Les Gramantik is excited about the chances of surpassing the medal count from the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England. “This team of 43 athletes has the objective to surpass our medal count (12) from four years ago in Manchester. Our leader going into these games is Chantal Petitclerc, Canada’s most successful track and field athlete in 2005. Also returning to these games are nine of our 12 medalists from Manchester.” Gramantik also knows how important the Commonwealth Games are. “The Commonwealth games are the mid way point of our Olympic cycle and it is part of our preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.”

Athletes

Name	Event	Hometown
Allen, Charles	110 metre Hurdles	Brampton, ON
Babcock, Courtney	5000 metres	Chatham, ON
Berrett, Tim	50km Racewalk	Edmonton, AB
Boswell, Mark	High Jump	Brampton, ON
Brannen, Nathan	1500 metres	Cambridge, ON
Broomfield, Erica	100 metres	Scarborough, ON
Browne, Pierre	4 X 100 metres	Toronto, ON
Coolsaet, Reid	5000 metres	Guelph, ON
Cummins, Diane	800 metres	Vancouver, BC
Dortch, Tawa	400 metre Hurdles	Edmonton, AB
Douma-Hussar, Carmen	1500 metres	Cambridge, ON
Ellis, Dana	Pole Vault	Kitchener, ON
Elmore, Malindi	1500 metres	Calgary, AB
Ferguson, Tracey	800 metres wheelchair T54	Toronto, ON
Forrester, Nicole	High Jump	Cookstown, ON
Gill, David	800 metres	Mashteuiatsh, QC
Hendry, Kelsie	Pole Vault	Saskatoon, SK
Henry, Anson	100 metres, 4 X 100 metres	Pickering, ON
Joyce, Jennifer	Hammer Throw	Richmond, BC
Kerr, Matthew	3000 metres Steeplechase	Elora, ON
Kortchaguina, Lioudmila	Marathon	Thornhill, ON
MacLeod, Jared	110 metre Hurdles	Winnipeg, MB
Macrozonaris, Nicolas	4 X 100 metres	Laval, QC
Martin, Jacques	Discus, Javelin F55	St-Denis Brompton, QC
McCann, Stephanie	Pole Vault	Surrey, BC
Palmer, Hank	4 X 100 metres	Pierrefonds, QC
Parris, Emanuel	4 X 100 metres	Etobicoke, ON
Petitclerc, Chantal	800 metres wheelchair T54	Montréal, QC
Quinn-Smith, Tara	10000 metres	Waterdown, ON
Reed, Gary	800 metres	Victoria, BC
Roy, Diane	800 metres wheelchair T54	Hatley, QC
Russell, Scott	Javelin Throw	Windsor, ON
Slowik, Dariusz	Discus Throw	Kamloops, BC
Steacy, James	Hammer Throw	Lethbridge, AB
Stellingwerff, Hilary	1500 metres	London, ON
Stevenson, Nicole	Marathon	Toronto, ON
Sullivan, Kevin	1500 metres	Brantford, ON
Tadili, Achraf	800 metres	Montréal, QC
Teteris, Aimee	800 metres	Vancouver, BC
Tunks, Jason	Discus Throw	London, ON
Vermeulen, Kate	800 metres	Victoria, BC
Whyte, Angela	400 metre Hurdles	Edmonton, AB
Zelinka, Jessica	Heptathlon	London, ON
Coaching Staff
Gerner, Carole	Manager	Lethbridge, AB
Gilbert, Glenroy	Coach - Sprints / Hurdles	Ottawa, ON
Gmitroski, Wynn	Coach - Middle distance	Victoria, BC
Goulet, Martin	Coach - Long distance	Longueuil, QC
Gramantik, Les	Head Coach	Calgary, AB
Laroche, Jean	Coach - Elite athletes with a disability	Sherbrooke, QC
MacDonald, Scott	Manager	Ottawa, ON
Pirnie, Bruce	Coach - Throws	Winnipeg, MB

Jean Laroche, Head Coach of the Paralympic Program on the Games: “The Commonwealth Games offer a unique opportunity to demonstrate the quality of our athletes. It is the only major games that fully integrate Paralympics results. This means a lot to our athletes and they always want to perform at their best to bring medals back to Canada. Ferguson, Martin, Petitclerc and Roy all have a very good chance of bringing some medals home.”

Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for the sport of track and field including cross-country running and road running.

Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest