Brent Lakatos (Canada) wins the 200m T53 final at the 2017 London World Para Athletics Championships

Athletics Canada announced today the 28 athletes who have been selected to represent Canada at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. The meet will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 7-15, 2019.

The biannual event is being held at the Dubai Club for People with Determination – a non-profit organisation formed in 1993, known for hosting a wide variety of events, both sporting and non-sporting, for members with physical and mental impairments.

The team is comprised of 15 men and 13 women, with 13 athletes returning from the 2017 World Championships team that finished 15th among competing nations at the event in London, England. Two years ago, Canada won 9 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) and earned 38 top 8 finishes.

“Diversity is the word that comes to mind,” said Carla Nicholls, Athletics Canada’s Para Performance Lead. “We have a great mix of veterans and rookies, men and women, with multiple sport classification entries – all who will be competing for a spot on the podium.”

Team veterans include Brent Lakatos, who has had an exceptional 2019 season once again breaking several world records. Guillaume Ouellet is back after an early-season injury. He showed that he is ready to take on the world after his gold medal performance at ParaPan American Games and being ranked number one in the world. Liam Stanley is also ready to perform after coming home with two ParaPan American Games medals. Other veterans to watch for are Austin Smeenk, who has had an outstanding 2019 competition season and has climbed the world rankings to top 2 in the world, and Marissa Papaconstantinou who is currently ranked top 4 in the world and has spent the season breaking her own Canadian records several times as she prepares for the World Championships.

“This team will face some real challenges in Dubai, such as heat, time change, and length of travel,” Nicholls said. “The toughest challenge may be to prepare our athletes to perform so late in the season. Our coaches have been working together to ensure that our athletes will overcome these challenges and focus strictly on their performances when it counts.”

Team rookies team will also look to electrify the Dubai crowd  with world record holder and ParaPan American Games gold medallist Nathan Riech currently training at high altitude to prepare for the World Championships. Greg Stewart also had a medal performance at Lima 2019 and is gearing up stay on the top of the world rankings. Sarah Mickey just missed the podium at the ParaPan Am Games in her first season of international competition and has also had an exceptional season setting Canadian records and will be prepared to perform when it counts in Dubai.

“Our team objectives are clear: medals, top 8 finishes, personal bests, and season bests,” Nicholls said. “We are heading to Dubai with 18 athletes ranked in the top 8 in the world, which is very promising for this diverse group of amazing athletes.”

 

Team Canada at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships:

 Athletes

NamePrimary EventPersonal CoachHometownClub Affiliation
Jennifer BrownF38 DiscusKim CousinsCalgary, ABCALTAF
Josh CassidyT54 5000mAmanda FaderPort Elgin, ONOttawa Lions Track & Field Club
Alexandre DupontT54 1500mRick ReelieClarenceville, QCSaint-Laurent Sélect
Ilana DupontT53 400mRick ReelieSaskatoon, SKSaint-Laurent Sélect
Josh FarrellF20 Shot PutDylan ArmstrongPort Elgin, ONSaugeen Track and Field Club
Eva Fejes Sport Assistant (Ness Murby)Vancouver, BC 
Renee FoesselF38 DiscusKen HallOrangeville, ONCruisers Sports
Jessica FrottenT53 400mRick ReelieWhitehorse, YTCyclones Athletics
Zachary GingrasT38 400mCraig Blackman / Heather HennigarMarkham, ONI Be Fast Track Club
Martha GustafsonF52 DiscusKen HallToronto, ONCruisers Sports
Austin IngramT13 100mJulie CrouzatPetawawa, ONLes Coureurs de Bois
Brent LakatosT53 400mArno MullDorval, QCParasports Québec
Lee LeclercT34 800mRichard TetreaultSaint-Paul, QCSaint-Laurent Sélect
Ljiljana LjubisicF11 DiscusLiudys Masso BeliserCoquitlam, BCBC Blind Sports
Guillaume OuelletT13 5000mFélix-Antoine LapointeVictoriaville, QCC. A. Université Laval
Liudys Masso Beliser Sport Assistant (Ljiljana Ljubisic)Coquitlam, BC 
Alister McQueenF64 JavelinKim CousinsCalgary, ABCALTAF
Sarah MickeyF55 DiscusKim CousinsMedicine Hat, ABCALTAF
Ness MurbyF11 Discus Vancouver, BCUnattached BC
Thomas NormandeauT47 400mHeather HennigarPeace River, ABUnattached BC
Marissa PapaconstantinouT64 100mBob WestmanToronto, ONUniversity of Toronto Track Club
Nathan RiechT38 1500mHeather HennigarVictoria, BCVic City Elite
Diane RoyT54 5000mJean LarocheSherbrooke, QCSherbrooke
Amanda RummeryT46 400mMaegan CiesielskiSherwood Park, ABGreen and Gold Track and Field Club

 

Austin SmeenkT34 800mLisa Myers / Rick ReelieOakville, ONCruisers Sports
Liam StanleyT37 1500mBruce DeaconVictoria, BCPrairie Inn Harriers
Greg StewartF46 Shot PutDylan ArmstrongVictoria, BCKamloops Track & Field
Kevin StryboschF37 DiscusJohn AllanLondon, ONLondon Western Track & Field Club
Amy WattT47 Long JumpRyan SandersCalgary, ABUnattached AB
Madison Wilson-WalkerT62 Long JumpDerrick JohnstonAvon, ONLondon Western Track & Field Club

 

 

 

Team Staff

NameRoleHometown   
Carla NichollsHead CoachRegina, SK   
Simon NathanTeam LeadOttawa, ON  
Kim CousinsTeam CoachCalgary, ON   
Bruce DeaconTeam CoachVictoria, BC   
Ken HallTeam Coach, Equipment ManagerBrampton, ON   
Ingrid RuysTeam CoachSherwood Park, AB   
Lisa MyersTeam CoachBrampton, ON   
Rick ReelieTeam CoachSaskatoon, SK   
Dr. Duriell BernardTeam ChiropractorVancouver, BC   
Nathan GarrisonTeam Massage TherapistVictoria, BC   
Dr. Sari KraftTeam PhysicianToronto, ON   
Lindsay MusalemTeam BiomechanistToronto, ON   
Sandeep NandhraTeam Athletic TherapistVictoria, BC   
Patricia RoneyIST Lead/Team PhysiotherapistVictoria, BC   
Kristine DeaconTeam ManagerCambridge, ON   
Sarah BlackAssistant Team ManagerVictoria, BC