Athletics Canada announces NACAC & World Cross Country teams
OTTAWA - Athletics Canada announced today the teams that will represent Canada at the 2007 NACAC Cross Country Championships in Clermont, Florida and at the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya.
NACAC Cross Country Championships, March 3, Clermont, Florida
Malindi Elmore will lead the way in Florida coming off a strong 2006 season. She is the reigning Canadian Cross Country Champion and competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia. Elmore should challenge for the individual title in Florida. Sheila Reid, the 2006 women’s junior silver medalist is back as is Matthew Bruce who was 8th in the junior men’s race.
The juniors in this event which will also head to Kenya and compete at the Worlds will benefit from the strong international competition in Florida. Endurance Program Coordinator and Coach Hugh Cameron believes there are some medal contenders on the team; “We have a few individuals who will be able to challenge for a medal based on last years results.” Cameron also expects the teams to improve on the 2006 results; “We will be competitive as a team, our objective is to finish in the top 2 in each event, and hopefully win one of them.”
World Cross Country Championships, March 24, Mombasa, Kenya
The women in Kenya will be led by Danelle Woods, current Canadian Junior Cross Country Champion and a member of the team which competed in Beijing at the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics. Lindsay Carson and Sheila Reid will provide valuable leadership and experience as they both competed at last year’s World Cross Country Championships in Japan.
Matthew Leeder, 2006 Canad ian Junior Cross Country runner-up, and returnee Sean Fleming will lead the men. The women’s and men’s teams will be looking to improve on last years finishes where they ranked 10th and 15th respectively in the world.
Head Coach Hugh Cameron; “Kenya has long been regarded as the mecca of distance running, making this event very significant and a providing a special opportunity for our young athletes to compete against the very best in the world.”
