The World Athletics Championships are set to kick off this weekend in Tokyo, which translates to Friday for Canadian viewers. Let’s take a closer look at the prominent Canadian athletes, including an extraordinary quartet of reigning world champions, who will be competing at the premier track and field event of the year.
Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg, who excel in the hammer throw discipline, made history for Canada in 2022 by securing the country’s first-ever world championships medals in the event. Rogers, aged 26, has been on a winning streak this year, triumphing in eight out of her nine international competitions, with the last six victories consecutively. On the other hand, Katzberg, 23, started the year with five straight wins but has recently finished second in his last three international events, being outperformed by Hungary’s Bence Halasz, the Olympic silver medalist.
In the 800m category, the spotlight falls on Marco Arop, who has shown remarkable progress from his early struggles to becoming a world champion in 2023. Arop, now 27, narrowly missed out on Olympic gold last year in a thrilling photo finish against his Kenyan rival Emmanuel Wanyonyi. Wanyonyi, aged 21, has been dominant in the Diamond League this year, winning five out of seven races, making him the favorite in Tokyo.
The decathlon duo of Damian Warner and Pierce LePage had high hopes for the 2024 Olympics after their previous successes, but injuries and unexpected challenges derailed their medal aspirations. Warner, 35, finished sixth at the Hypo Meeting this year, while LePage, at 29, faced setbacks due to a back injury and a fall during competition.
The Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team, comprising Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, and Brendon Rodney, pulled off a stunning victory at the Paris Olympics, but they face tough competition from the United States, who are favored to win gold again after reclaiming the world title in 2023.
Other Canadian athletes to watch include Sarah Mitton in shot put, Moh Ahmed in long-distance races, Evan Dunfee in race walking, and Savannah Sutherland in the women’s 400m hurdles. The full list of Canadian participants can be found online, along with additional insights on the medal hopefuls and emerging talents from CBC Sports’ Justin Piercy.
For viewers eager to catch the action, live streaming of the world championships will be available starting this Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem until September 21. Detailed streaming and event schedules can also be accessed online for further information.
