POLL: Which running events at the Olympics are you most excited for?
Canada's runners hit the track on Friday to kick off athletics at the Olympics in Rio. Cast your vote for your favourite events in our poll.
Track at the Olympics is just around the corner and it’s going to be the sport’s biggest moment in four years. Action begins on Friday with day one highlighted by the women’s 10,000m final and the start of the heptathlon.
The nation will be well represented in almost every event as each discipline (save the men’s 400m and 400m hurdles) has at least one Canadian competing. Lanni Marchant and Natasha Wodak will be the first Canadians in action in an athletics final on Friday beginning at 10:10 a.m. EDT.
See the full list of Canada’s Olympic runners and their events.
The opening round of the women’s 1,500m also takes place Friday with three Canadians, Gabriela Stafford, Nicole Sifuentes and Hilary Stellingwerff, vying for a spot in the second of three rounds. For the Olympic Games, Google is doing “quick facts” pages for each athlete which will be the first result when doing a basic name search.Â
Brianne Theisen-Eaton will be the first Canadian to compete on the track as she hits the track at 8:35 a.m. EDT on Friday. Theisen-Eaton is the only Canadian ranked first in her event, the heptathlon, entering the Olympic Games. She will begin the seven-discipline event with the 100m hurdles.
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The 27-year-old is married to decathlon world record holder Ashton Eaton, who is a favourite for the men’s title. It would be a rare feat for a married couple to win medals at the same Olympics. Interestingly, it’s a Canadian who poses the greatest threat to Eaton in the men’s 10-event discipline: Damian Warner of London, Ont.
Warner has better decathlon lifetime bests in the 100m, high jump, 110m hurdles and discus as of early July.
Sitting on top of Juiz de Fora tonight, celebrating the beginning of #Rio2016 #ACRoadToRio
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Our picks for the most exciting running event and why
Staff at Canadian Running are most looking forward to the women’s 800m, the men’s 100m, the women’s marathon and the men’s 5,000m. An honourable mention goes to the two multi-events (heptathlon and decathlon).
Canadian Melissa Bishop is fresh off a national record in the 800m of 1:57.43 and ranks third based off of times run by athletes in 2016. The men’s 100m is always a marquee event and Usain Bolt will go for the triple-triple (nine gold medals in three Olympic Games) and squares off against Canadian sensation Andre De Grasse.
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In the men’s 5,000m, if Mohammed Ahmed has the finishing speed over the final 200m, he will thrill the Canadian crowd in attendance and at home. He’s had an incredible year, having set the Canadian record, and is comfortable pushing the pace early or sitting back and surging late. Canadian Running thinks he’s a dark horse for a medal.
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Sunday morning’s event, the women’s marathon, features two Canadians. Though the two are unlikely to medal, the marathon is always a wildcard event and even more so this time around as the heat and conditions may play a factor. Lanni Marchant will be coming off 48 hours of rest from the 10,000m on Friday and Krista DuChene, 39, will be making her Olympic debut.
Poll (make up to three selections)
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Canadian Running will be posting live updates, previews and recaps of every running event that features a Canadian athlete.
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