Athletics Canada announces world championships team

Athletics Canada, the country’s governing body over track and field, has announced the team that will represent Canada at the upcoming August world championships in Beijing.

The organization named 51 athletes to the team, including nine ranked in the top ten in the world in their respective events. Cam Levins is the only athlete ranked in the top ten in a middle distance or distance event, currently fourth in the world over 10,000m. He will attempt the 5,000m/10,000m double.

“The world championships are the last major measuring stick as we prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games,” said head coach Peter Eriksson in a release. “Our team objectives are clear; improve on our country ranking and the number of medals, top eight, top 12 and top 16 finishes. Individually we are looking for athletes to place higher than their ranking entering the event.”

There are a few notable holes for fans if distance running, mainly the lack of any 1,500m runners or marathon runners, men or women. No Canadian women made standard this year and no men hit the mark before the deadline to be named to the team, though three men dipped under in the mark over the past weekend: Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, Nate Brannen and Jeremy Rae. Nicole Sifuentes, the Canadian 1,500m champion, will race the 5,000m.

Fiona Benson, who was ineligible to compete in the Pan Am Games because of not declaring, is on the team list for world championships, racing the 800m alongside Melissa Bishop.

The championships will be held Aug. 22-30, back at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, where the 2008 Olympics were held. The 90,000-seat stadium has sat largely empty since the Games.