Six athletes chosen to represent Canada

OTTAWA – (2022 – 05 – 13) – Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) and Athletics Canada today announced the Paralympic athletes who have been selected to represent Team Canada in Athletics at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham England taking place July 28 to August 8, 2022.

“This is a very diverse group of talented athletes who have been selected to this team,” said Carla Nicholls, Para Head Coach and Lead of Para Performance at Athletics Canada. “Three Tokyo Paralympic athletes and two other Commonwealth Games veterans are returning to represent Canada, along with first time national team athlete David Johnson. I have no doubt that we will see some incredible performances from this team.”

Athletes were invited by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) based on being ranked in the top-7 in the WPA World Rankings between December 31, 2020 to April 25, 2022 (max 3 per country, among Commonwealth nations). 

“Congratulations to the athletes named today to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” says Scott Stevenson, Executive Director, Team Canada 2022. “Qualifying for these Games amongst the challenging field was a great accomplishment. With 13 medals won in athletics at the last Commonwealth Games, we know this talented group of athletes will contribute greatly to the Canadian results in athletics this summer.”

The women’s team is comprised of Jessica Frotten, a Yukon-raised 1,500m athlete who has represented Canada at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha and at the World Para Athletics Championship in 2017 in London, and Sarah Mickey, a discus thrower who was fifth at the 2019 World Championship in Dubai.

The men will be led by Josh Cassidy, a Port Elgin native, Paralympian and long-distance racing specialist who has won the Los Angeles and Boston marathon over the course of a 15-year-long career. Cassidy competed at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“I’m going to try and win a couple more Commonwealth Games medals for Canada in Birmingham!”

In preparation for the Commonwealth Games, and in the absence of a World Para-Athletics Championship, several team members are competing in Switzerland and the Swiss Grand Prix in late May, while others will compete at Paris Grand Prix first week in June. 

The Athletics competition will take place at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham from July 30 to August 7, with six women’s events and six men’s events: the 100m (T12), 100m (T38), 100m (T47), 1,500m (T54), marathon (T54), and the shot put (F38/F55).

Birmingham 2022 will feature 19 sports and 8 para-sports as part of its program with up to 4,500 athletes taking part. The Commonwealth Games are the only multi-sport event that feature equal standing for sport and para-sport events, and these 2022 Games will showcase the largest para-sport program ever. In addition, for the first time in its history, the Games will feature more medal events for women (135) than men (133).

The Athletics team which will represent Canada at the Birmingham 2022 includes:Athletes:

Athlete Name	Events (s)	Hometown	Coach	Club	Commonwealth Games
David Johnson	100m (T12)	Victoria, BC	Geoff Harris	Vic City Elite
Zachary Gingras	100m (T38)	Markham, ON	Geoff Harris	Vic City Elite
Tristan Smyth	1500m/Marathon (T54)	Maple Ridge, BC	Geoff Harris	Vic City Elite	2014,2018
Josh Cassidy	1500m/Marathon (T54)	Port Elgin, ON	Amanda Fader	Ottawa Lions	2010, 2014
Jessica Frotten	1500m (T53)	Whitehorse, YK	Geoff Harris	Cyclones	2018
Sarah Mickey	Shot Put (F55)	Redcliff, AB	Kim Cousins	CALTAF

Coaches:

Position	First	Last	Hometown
Women’s Coach	Carla	Nicholls	Regina, SK
Men’s Coach	Geoff	Harris	Victoria, BC
Men’s Coach	Brett	Lumley	Windsor, ON

Team Canada will reveal its list of able-bodied athletes qualified for the Games on June 21

ABOUT TEAM CANADA 2022 

The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be host to 71 participating nations and territories taking part in the Games. The Commonwealth Games are a valuable opportunity as a steppingstone and development opportunity for Canadian athletes, coaches, and managers working towards Olympic and Paralympic success. Canada’s performance projection in 2022 is a top 3 ranking, in total medals, amongst all nations and territories competing. Commonwealth athletes won 80%+ of Canada’s medals at the 2020 Olympic Games 

Team Canada’s dedicated mission team will provide an optimal environment by celebrating equality, diversity, and non-discrimination. This is in support of our goals needed to enable a best ever performance by Canadian athletes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

ABOUT NSO

Athletics Canada is the national governing body of athletics in Canada which includes track and field, cross-country running, road running, and race walking. Athletics Canada is involved in many aspects of the sport at the local, national, and international level, providing the rules, officials, coaching education, sport science and athlete development, youth programs, masters competition, and an annual meeting. For more information, please visit www.athletics.ca

ABOUT COMMONWEALTH SPORT CANADA 

Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth sport movement in Canada. CSC is an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community and supports Canada’s athletes to achieve excellence at Olympic, Paralympic Games, and world championships. The mission of CSC is to enrich the lives of youth across the Commonwealth and host the Commonwealth Games. CSC is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s participation in the XXII Commonwealth Games and will be sending a team of almost 400 of Canada’s best athletes and coaches to compete for Canada. The upcoming Games will occur in Birmingham, England from July 28 through to August 8, 2022. For additional information go to: www.commonwealthsport.ca. 

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For more information, please contact:

Caroline Sharp

Media Attaché – Athletics

Email: Caroline.Sharp@athletics.ca

(613) 323-5605

Patrick Kenny 

Communications Team Leader – Team Canada 2022

Email: patrick@commonwealthsport.ca

613 724 7160

Laura Gray (she/her) 
Communications Coordinator Team Canada 2022
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