Media Release CATCH THE OLYMPIANS BEFORE RIO

MediaRelease
EmbargoDate:Jun.7,2016
Jun.3,2016
CATCHTHEOLYMPIANSBEFORERIO
(TORONTO,JUN.10,2016)–AthleticsOntarioisexcitedtohostsomeofOntario’sbest
TrackandFieldathletesthisweekend,June11-12attheIntegratedSenior
ChampionshipsandPrepMeethostedatthePanAmStadiumatYorkUniversity.A
criticalpointseventforallOlympicboundathletes,asthisisoneofthefinalhomesoil
competitionsbeforesteppingontotheworldstageattheRioOlympicsintheweeksto
come.
“TheSeniorChampionshipsisthelasttimetheseathleteswillcompeteinOntario
beforeleavingforWorldsandthe[Rio]Olympics,”saidKatieOzolins,ExecutiveDirector
ofAthleticsOntario.“ThiseventallowsathletesthataretrackingtowardsthehighperformancestreamtheopportunitytocompeteagainstsomeofCanada’sbest.”
CanadianDecathlete,DamianWarnerwillbecompetinginJavelin.Warnerislookingto
continuehismonumentoussuccessaftercompletingaPersonalBestinthe100meters
sprintsatthe2016HypoMeetinGortzis,Austria.
AfteranamazingfinishatPanAmGames,NikkitaHolderwilllooktoaddtoherbronze
medalinthe100metershurdlesduringtheSeniorChampionshipandPrepMeet.With
thehopesofmakinghersecondOlympicdebut,anticipateastrongperformancefrom
HolderinpreparationfortheCanadianChampionshipandRioSelectionTrialsinearly
July.
Duringthisyears’SeniorChampionships,AthleticsOntariowillbeconductinga
classificationevaluationbyamemberoftheCanadianPara-OlympicCommitteeinan
efforttoprovideallPara-Athletestheopportunitytoobtainorupdatetheir
classification.
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CONTACT:
BrittanyDurdin
MediaRelationsandCommunicationsLead
AthleticsOntario
E:brittanydurdin@athleticsontario.ca
C:289-969-8229
MediaAlert
EmbargoDate:Jun.7,2016
Jun.3,2016
CATCHTHEOLYMPIANSBEFORERIO
(TORONTO,JUN.10,2016)–AthleticsOntarioisexcitedtohostsomeofOntario’sbest
TrackandFieldathletesthisweekend,June11-12attheIntegratedSenior
ChampionshipsandPrepMeethostedatthePanAmStadiumatYorkUniversity.
WHO:AthleticsOntariohostingoutdoorSeniorChampionshipsandPrepMeet[Openfor
MidgettoJunioragegroups].
WHAT:TrackandFieldeventfeaturingseveralOlympicboundathletes,including100
meterhurdler,NikkitaHolderandCanadianDecathleteDamianWarner
WHEN:June11-12,2016from9A.M.–5P.M.
WHERE:PanAmStadium,YorkUniversity.
-30-
CONTACT:
BrittanyDurdin
MediaRelationsandCommunicationsLead
AthleticsOntario
E:brittanydurdin@athleticsontario.ca
C:289-969-8229
InfoSheet
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SeniorChampionshipsand]PrepMeetprovidesathleteswiththeopportunityfor
high-performanceathletestohavehigh-qualitycompetitionbeforetakingthe
internationalstageatthe2016RioOlympics.
ManyhighprofileOlympianswillbeinattendanceasapreparationforthe
CanadianChampionshipandtheRioSelectiontrialssettotakeplaceJuly7-10,
2016inEdmonton,Alberta.
AthleticsOntariowillbeprovidingPara-Athletestheopportunitytoobtainor
updatetheirclassification.
ClassificationbreaksdownaPara-Athletesabilitiesandhelpsleveltheplaying
fieldtoensurefairnessbasedontheirphysicalormentaldisabilities.
ForamajorityofathletesthismeetwillhelppreparethemforboththeIAAFU20
WorldChampionshipsandtheNorthAmerica,CentralAmericaandCaribbean
AthleticAssociation(NACAC).
SelectionforbothteamswilloccurjustaftertheSr.Championships.
BackgroundInformation
AthleticsOntario(AO)istheProvincialsportgoverningbodyforAthletics(Road
Run,X-Country,Track&Field,WalkRace).
Establishedin1977,AthleticsOntarioprovidessupporttoathletesinallstagesofthe
LongTermAthleteDevelopmentmodel,whichlookstoprovideinclusiveprogramming
andeventsfocusingondevelopingandretaininglife-longathletes.
AthleticsOntariohelpsidentifyandsupporthigh-performanceathletesbyproviding
accesstofunding,coachesandsupportallfacetsintheirpursuitofexcellence.
Formoreinformationanddetailsregardingallprogramsandservicesofferedby
AthleticsOntariopleasevisitathleticsontario.ca/about-us/.
ATHLETEBIOGRAPHIES
DAMIANWARNER
LearnmoreaboutDamianWarner
AsacurrentmemberoftheCanadian
Olympicteam,DamianWarnercompetes
intheDecathlon.Atwo-dayevent
consistingofthe100metersprints,400
meterdash,110meterhurdles,1500
meterrun,shotput,discus,javelin,pole
vault,longjumpandhighjump.
AftersettinganewCanadianrecordand
comingoffanPanAMgold,Warnerwill
competeinJavelinatthisyearsSr.
Championshipsbeforeheadingofftothe
2016RioOlympicsineightshortweeks.
NIKKITAHOLDER
LearnmoreaboutNikkitaHolder
NikkitaHolderwillcompeteinthe100M
hurdles.AsatwotimeOlympichopeful,
Holderiscomingoffagreatseason
finishingthirdatthePanAmGameslast
summerinherhometownofToronto.
BRITTANYCREW
LearnmoreaboutBrittanyCrew
AftersettingandthenresettingtheU24
OntarioWomen’sshotputrecordatthis
years’TuscanEliteClassic,Crewwilllookto
gainonhergrowingsuccess.WithNACACin
hersights,shewillonceagainlookto
representCanadaontheInternationalstage.
WESVICK
LearnmoreaboutWes
Vick
Paralympic
hopefulanddistance
competitor,WesVick
willlooktomakehis
OlympicdebutatRioin
theweekstocome.
AfterastellarperformanceatthePanAmGameslastyear,Vick
hassethissightsonbecomingthenextmemberofCanada’s
Paralympicteam.
Vickcompetesinboththe400meterand800meterevent.