Canadian Olympic Foundation
RBC Future Olympians excel at Canada Games
The 2017 Canada Summer Games came to a close on August 13 and five RBC Training Ground Future Olympians are returning home with new hardware.
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Young athletes identified through RBC Training Ground and receiving sport support from RBC and the Canadian Olympic Foundation (COF) competed in both rowing and athletics, but it was at the Regatta where the grant recipients really stood out against their competition.
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Hometown hero Emma Gray (Winnipeg, Man.) carried Manitoba’s flag into the Opening Ceremony.
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“It was an honour to be named as flag bearer,” says Emma. “There are so many amazing young athletes that competed at Canada Games, and it was really great to bring attention to rowing and to represent Team Manitoba.”
Emma took home three medals from the Canada Games – gold in the women’s single scull and bronze in the double and quad. Team Manitoba finished in 5th place in the women’s eight. The Canada Games Regatta was held in Kenora.
“The entire experience was really fun, the squad we were training with was amazing and really supportive of one another. We made great gains in a short period of time,” says Emma. “It’s rare that we get to compete at home and it was nice to be in such familiar territory. When it was time to race, we focused on the water, but outside of competition we got to hang out with friends and family. I think we prospered because we were so relaxed in the supportive environment.”
Emma wasn’t the only RBC Future Olympian rower to stand on the podium.
Avalon Wasteneys, a native of Campbell River, B.C. won the RBC Training Ground regional final in March and took home three gold medals from the Canada Games. The 19-year-old sweep took top honours in the women’s pair, four and eight. Fellow Team B.C. athlete Tyler Adams finished with silver medals in the men’s single, double, and quad sculls.
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Team Ontario’s Trevor Jones won gold in the men’s single and double sculls and Team Quebec’s Marilou Duvernay-Tardif claimed a silver in women’s single sculls and gold in doubles.
A pair of regional winners from Atlantic Canada competed at Canada Games in athletics. 2016 winner Peter Collier represented Team Nova Scotia and finished fourth in the decathlon and 2017 winner Andrew Wood from St. John’s, Newfoundland finished in 12th and 17th place in the men’s 100m and 200m, respectively.
RBC Training Ground is now accepting registrations for the upcoming Ontario combines. Visit www.RBCTrainingGround.ca to learn more and sign up.
