Posted: August 21, 2007

Athletics: Wave 1 arrives in Osaka for World Champs

Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Osaka, Japan – The first wave of Canadian athletes arrived in Osaka yesterday for the 11th IAAF World Championships in athletics.  Held in Japan for the second time – Tokyo in 1991 – the championships will be the largest ever with 203 countries participating.  The previous record was 201 countries at the 8th World Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. The second wave of athletes will arrive on Wednesday August 22 while the remainder of the team will arrive from the training camp in Singapore on Friday August 24.  The first athletes to touch down in Osaka were Dylan Armstrong from Kamloops, BC; Diane Cummins from Victoria, BC; Anson Henry from Pickering, ON; Jim Steacy from Lethbridge, AB; Nicole Forrester of Aurora, ON; Kevin Sullivan from Brantford, ON; Angela Whyte of Edmonton, AB. Expected to arrive on Wednesday are Simon Bairu of Regina, SK; Brian Barnett and Tyler Christopher from Edmonton, AB; Perdita Felicien from Pickering, ON; Adam Kunkel from Paisley, ON; Priscilla Lopes of Whitby, ON. Two athletes who qualified and were named to the team will not be able to participate.  Jessica Zelinka from London, ON sustained an injury on her way to a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and Malindi Elmore from Calgary recently suffered a stress fracture. Rankings heading into the Championships Name Event IAAF Top List Ranking As of Aug. 14, 2007 Richard Adu-Bobie 4x100m 10th - 38.81 Dylan Armstrong Shot put 8th - 20.72 Simon Bairu 10000m 20th - 27:50.71 Brian Barnett 200m / 4x100m 24th - 20.48 / 10th – 38.31 Tim Berrett 50kmRW 24th - 3:55:08 Tyler Christopher 400m 8th - 44.93 Jared Connaughton 4x100m 10th - 38.81 Diane Cummins 800m 18th - 1:59.75 Carmen Douma-Hussar 1500m 22nd - 4:05.91 Perdita Felicien 100mH 7th - 12.65 Nicole Forrester High jump 10th - 1.97m Anson Henry 100m / 4x100m NA / 10th - 38.81 Shannon King 4x100m 10th - 38.81 Adam Kunkel 400mH 5th - 48.24 Lioudmila Kortchaguina Marathon 41st - 2:31:57 Priscilla Lopes 100mH 15th - 12.82 Jared MacLeod 110mH 27th - 13.55 Gary Reed 800m 5th - 1:44.03 Scott Russell Javelin 11th - 83.98 Jim Steacy Hammer throw 24th - 77.38 Hilary Stellingwerff 1500m 20th - 4:05.69 Kevin Sullivan 1500m 15th - 3:34.16 Achraf Tadili 800m 30th - 1:45.84 Angela Whyte 100mH 6th - 12.63 Neville Wright 4x100m 10th - 38.81 Everything you need to know about the championships and Team Canada can be found by visiting www.athletics.ca/page.asp?id=39 CBC Broadcast Schedule Saturday August 25 – 15:00 to 18:00 Sunday August 26 – 15:00 to 17:00 plus late night repeat Saturday September 1 – 12:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 Saturday September 2 – 24:30 to 02:30 Eastern Standard Time – check local listings Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest