Posted: July 10, 2007

Athletics: RBC Canadian Track and Field Championships begin Thursday

OTTAWA – The 2007 RBC Canadian Track and Field Championships, co-hosted by the University of Windsor and the Windsor Legion Track and Field Club, begin this Thursday July 12 at the University of Windsor Stadium, and conclude on Sunday July 15. Over 900 athletes will compete in Athletics Canada’s first fully integrated championships, staging both paralympic and olympic athletes in the same competition. The RBC Canadian Track and Field Championships will serve as the selection trials for the IAAF World Championships held later this summer in Osaka, Japan. Athletes looking to be selected to the World Championship team are required to finish among the top four in their event as one of the components of the selection criteria. The event will also be a selection meet for the FISU Summer Universiade (World Student Summer Games) held in early August in Bangkok, Thailand. A number of Windsor area athletes will have the opportunity to compete for the Canadian crown in their backyard. Among them is Scott Russell, current Canadian record holder in the men’s javelin. In the men’s decathlon, Jamie Adjety-Nelson has finished in the top three the past two years, and Jessica Matassa finished top 3 at last year’s Paralympic Nationals in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. Other featured athletes include: · 2005 World Championships bronze medalist and 400-metre Canadian Record Holder Tyler Christopher of Edmonton, AB · 100-metre hurdlers Perdita Felicien of Pickering, ON, Angela Whyte from Edmonton, AB and Priscilla Lopes of Whitby, ON finished first, second and third respectively at last year’s championships - only 0.14 seconds apart · Brent Lakatos of Dorval, QC recently broke Canadian records in the 100, 200 and 400 metres T53 events · Chantel Petitclerc from Montreal, QC started off the season in spectacular fashion winning five gold medals in the Swiss Racing Series. This past weekend she qualified in Windsor for the women’s 1500 metres demonstration event which will be held at the World Championships in Japan · James Steacy of Lethbridge, AB first broke the Canadian hammer throw record in 2006 and since has bettered the mark three times this year · Jessica Zelinka from London, ON who improved her Canadian record in the heptathlon this season will compete in the women’s long jump and 200 metres For more information, including the full schedule of events, start lists and results please visit Athletics.ca . If you can’t make it to Windsor, tune into the CBC on July 21st to watch the national broadcast beginning at noon EST. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest