2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships

It’s the time of the year where basketball is winding down, hockey is heading toward the playoffs and football is still in the start-up mode for the upcoming season.

Some sports never take time off and one is track and field where, if you live on Canada’s west coast you can practice your sport year round.

We just covered an indoor event for the Harry Jerome Track Classic at the Richmond Oval earlier in the year and given the number of athletes attending it’s no wonder why this sport continues to grow.

Canada will be well represented at the upcoming 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships taking place in Portland Oregon from March 17^th to 20^th.

Athletics Canada has just released the names of fourteen athletes that will be representing Canada on the world stage.

The team includes Shawn Barber (2015 World pole vault Champion), Brianne Theisen-Eaton the 2015 World Championships Silver medalist and the 2014 World Indoor Bronze medalist Nicole Sifuentes.

Head Coach Peter Eriksson told the media “The World Indoor Championships in Portland represent the last major international competition before the 2016 Olympic Games.”

He continued “The four-day competition will see some of our best athletes go up against some of the worlds best providing a preview of what’s to come in Rio and the team objective, and as such athlete selections to the team, was made based on potential to reach finals and medal in Portland.”

Shawn Barber who cleared the 6.00-metres (new Canadian all-time best) enters the World Indoor Championships currently ranked second in the world behind France’s Renaud Lavillenie.

Brianne Theisen-Eaton looks to improve on the silver medal she won at the last World Indoor Championships in 2014 (Sopot, Poland).

In 2015 she season grabbed medals at the Pan Am Games and World Outdoor Championships in addition to setting a new Canadian record in the heptathlon.

Winnipeg’s Nicole Sifuentes won Bronze in the 1500-metres at the 2014 World Indoor Championships and Silver (same event) at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.

Other Canadians who could make a mark include Mohammed Ahmed, Cam Levins and Tim Nedow, with Ahmed fresh off a Canadian record performance in the 3000-metres.

Cam Levins set a new Canadian all-time best last season in the 10,000-metres, and Tim Nedow has a seasonal best for indoor shot put with 21.33 metres and is close to Dylan Armstrong’s indoor shot put record of 21.39m.

Nedow was also crowned shot put champion in the IAAF’s inaugural World Indoor Tour this season.

2016 World Indoor Championships – Canadian Team 

Name / Event / Hometown Men

• Mobolade Ajomale, 60m, Richmond Hill, ON
• Philip Osei, 400m, Toronto, ON
• Mohammed Ahmed, 3000m, St. Catherine’s, ON
• Cameron Levins, 3000m, Black Creek, BC
• Shawnacy Barber, Pole Vault, Toronto, ON
• Tim Nedow, Shot Put, Brockville, ON

Women

• Crystal Emmanuel, 60m, Toronto, ON
• Angela Whyte, 60mH, Edmonton, AB
• Nicole Sifuentes, 1500m, Winnipeg, MB
• Gabriella Stafford, 1500m, Toronto, ON
• Jessica O’Connell, 3000m, Calgary, AB
• Sheila Reid, 3000m, Newmarket, ON
• Georgia Ellenwood, Pentathlon, Langley, BC
• Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Pentathlon, Humbodlt, SK