Dozens of Ottawa athletes have either qualified or are still in contention to qualify for next year’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Read the stories of those we caught up with for the Ottawa Sportspage‘s Ottawa One Year Outside the Olympics edition (you can finds newspapers at the locations listed here) or read the online version of the paper.
You can browse some of their stories here:
Tim Nedow: Compounded by the loss of carding funds, shot putter’s Olympic hunt is self-driven to the max
Joanna Brown: Camping, resting and resetting: Joanna Brown pumping the breaks during the pandemic
Thomas and Phil Scrubb: Scrubb brothers waiting and willing for country’s call
Alicia Brown: Adversity is nothing new for Alicia Brown
Farah Jacques: Returning to her track beginnings has Jacques aiming for a 2nd Olympic Games
Vincent De Haître (also featuring Derek Gee & Ariane Bonhomme): Ottawa Bicycle Club alumni share same track to Canadian Olympic cycling team
Ariane Bonhomme: Pedaler Bonhomme sees positives in drawn out Olympic cycle
Camille Bérubé: Para-swimmer taking competition break one stroke at a time
Jon Dunkerley: Dunkerley determined to get back into Paralympic mix
Melissa Bishop-Nriagu: Extra time has been of the essence for hopeful third-time Olympian Bishop-Nriagu
Mike Woods: Postponed cycling schedule a welcome respite for Ottawa’s Mike Woods
Jessica Gaudreault: Water polo goalkeeper biding time for Canada’s long-awaited Olympic return
Amy Burk, Whitney Bogart, and Emma Reinke: Pushed Paralympics raises stakes for Ottawa’s goalball players
Sam Zakutney: Defending Canadian gymnastics champ keeping hopeful in Olympic chase
Gaby Dabrowski: Dabrowski using court closures to push for pro tennis reform, more visibility for doubles
Vanessa Gilles: Ottawa soccer player Vanessa Gilles keeps focus on pro play, hopes to spur Olympic selection
On top of those featured within the Ottawa One Year Outside the Olympics Special Edition, there are many other noteworthy local athletes who have the Tokyo Games within their grasp.
That includes a several standouts who have already clinched Olympic berths for Canada (and have been featured in recent SportsOttawa.com coverage; click on the links to read their stories) – Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe, fellow Rio 2016 veterans Cam Smedley and Mike Tayler (canoe slalom), Team Canada women’s rugby sevens player Pam Buisa, and 33-year-old Olympic rookie Kelleigh Ryan (fencing).
An extra year of seasoning could prove beneficial to the Olympic dreams of emerging national team athletes such as Kristin Stremlaw (artistic swimming), Henry McKay (diving), Eli Wall (swimming), Eric Peters (archery), Keira Christie-Galloway (athletics), Merissah Russell (basketball), Natalie Davison, Rowan Hardy-Kavanagh, Drew Hodges & Madeline Schmidt (canoe-kayak), Lois Betteridge (canoe slalom), Matteo Dal-Cin & Alex Cataford (road cycling), John Wright (fencing), Vanessa Gilles (soccer), Ben Kendrick (judo), Robert Bonomo & Garnett Stevens (modern pentathlon), Josh King (rowing), Olivia De Couvreur (rugby sevens), Cat Carkner (sport climbing), Rich Davidson (weightlifting) and Adam MacFayden (wrestling).
The Canadian wheelchair rugby team has qualified for the Paralympics. Locals Patrice Dagenais and Ben Perkins are national team regulars.
Other local athletes with Paralympics potential include the likes of Josh Cassidy & Brent Babcock (athletics), Mike Trauner (canoe-kayak) and Robbi Weldon (cycling).