One year from today, the best athletes in the world will march into New National Stadium for the start of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. More than 50 Island athletes are expected on the Canadian team. Statistics company Gracenote Sports predicts if the Olympics opened today, Canada would finish 13th in the overall table with 25 medals, six of them gold. Canada was third overall in the medals table of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, but the Summer Games are a different beast.
Here are 20 for ’20, a sampling of some of the Island or Island-based athletes who could be competing in Tokyo one year from now:
MIKE FUAILEFAU and CAROLINE CROSSLEY (Sevens Rugby): Both the Langford-based men’s and women’s Canadian teams have qualified for Tokyo 2020 and these Island products played defining roles.
JAMES KIRKPATRICK and MADDIE SECCO (Field Hockey): The men’s and women’s Canadian teams have two Olympic qualifying opportunities upcoming to get to Tokyo and these veteran Island players will be key performers in those quests.
KAI LANGERFELD, MARTIN BARAKSO and CAILEIGH FILMER (Rowing): There are increasing signs on Elk Lake of a Canadian rowing revival at Tokyo. This Island trio will be a key part of the mix.
HALEY SMITH and ADAM DE VOS (Cycling): Victoria’s de Vos is the Canadian men’s road race champion. The Bear Mountain-based Smith is the 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist in women’s mountain biking. Both have to be considered prospects for Tokyo.
TYLER MISLAWCHUK and MATT SHARPE (Triathlon): The National Triathlon Centre is based in Victoria, so you know the sport simply had to be represented on this list. Mislawchuk especially has been torrid this year on the world scene.
EMMA ENTZMINGER (Softball): The Lambrick Park Secondary graduate was a hitting machine in the Canada Cup this month in Surrey and batted over .400 with a crucial home run for champion Canada in the 2-1 semifinal victory over Chinese Taipei. More of that will be needed next month at Softball City when Canada hosts the Americas Olympic qualifier for Tokyo 2020.
MATHEA OLIN (Surfing): The Tofino teen prodigy hopes to ride in on a big wave as her sport makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo.
ELAN JONAS-McRAE (Sport Climbing): Another sport set to make its Olympic debut at Tokyo. The Nanaimo native and breakout star at Boulders Gym in Central Saanich has overcome a broken hand and is a candidate for the 2020 Canadian Olympic team.
CAM LEVINS (Marathon): The Black Creek runner broke Jerome Drayton’s historic 43-year-old Canadian record in the marathon last year. Levins competed on the Olympic track at London in 2012. The roads of Tokyo now await.
MACKENZIE PADINGTON (Swimming): The Campbell River native, who moved to Victoria to train and graduated from Claremont Secondary, came into the world aquatics championships this week in South Korea as the new Canadian distance queen after sweeping the women’s freestyle 400-, 800-and 1,500-metre events at the national trials in April.
MICHAEL SAUNDERS (Baseball): Before he made the majors, the Victoria product represented Canada in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With Japan hosting, baseball returns to the Games for the first time since 2008. Tokyo 2020 would provide the perfect career coda for Saunders.
BRYAN COLWELL (Boxing): The two-time Canadian amateur heavyweight champion from Victoria is a leading candidate for the Canadian Olympic team to Tokyo 2020.
MICHAEL MASON (High Jump): The Nanoose Bay jumper, one of the Island’s most under-appreciated athletes, is looking to become a rare four-time Olympian.
MAX GALLANT (Sailing): The Royal Victoria Yacht club member was North American bronze-medallist and world top-six in Laser at the U-21 level and hopes to sail against the big boys in the big show next year across the Pacific.
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
