Athletics Canada is pleased to reveal its roster of athletes and supporting staff who will represent the Maple Leaf at the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, Australia.
Taking place on Saturday, February 18, the World Championships are the first of their kind to take place since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada will field five teams (U20 women and men, Open women and men, and a mixed-relay team) comprising five Olympians, seven World Cross Country Championship veterans, several national champions and top varsity athletes.
"We have great leadership, talent and experience to allow Canada to meet the tremendous challenge of World Cross Country racing," said Team Lead Thelma Wright. "Canada historically has excellent individual and team results in both men's and women's U20 races, as well as some outstanding individual performances in our Senior ranks. This years team will be no different and we look to some very positive results and surprise performances."
Wright said the four-year championship hiatus has given the team's youngest athletes a chance to blossom into world-class competitors, while allowing more experienced team members to hone their craft and come into these championships more prepared than in previous years. She said Team Canada's usual challenge is to finish in the top half of team results in each of the five races, and to better team placings from the previous championships.
In 2019 in Aarhus, Canada finished seventh in the mixed relay, sixth in the women's U20 race, 12th in the men's U20 race, 16th in the open men's race, and seventh in the open women's race. While Wright thinks all of Canada's teams have a chance at improving on their 2019 results, she believes Canada's senior women have an especially great shot at bettering their past ranking.
"With five of our six senior women having previous world cross-country experience, and with four Olympians on the team, our Senior Women’s team is one of our strongest in a decade."
Details on Team Canada's selection process for the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships can be found here.
2023 World Cross-Country Championships - Team Canada roster
| Athlete Name | Hometown | Club | Coach |
| U20 Men | |||
| Heath McAllister | London, ON | London Western T&F Club | Dave Mills |
| Jack Lehto | Burlington, ON | Burlington T&F Club | Terry Radchenko |
| Tanner Hueglin | Bradford, ON | Newmarket Huskies | Derek Hackshaw |
| Tristan Coles | St. Thomas, ON | London Western T&F Club | Dave Mills |
| Jaxon Kuchar | Trail, BC | Victoria Endurance Track Club | Hilary Stellingwerff |
| Gaetano Pocchi | Toronto, ON | Blue Devils Athletic Club | Ben Devito |
| Non-travelling reserves | |||
| Angus Skinner | Kingston, ON | Physi-Kult | Brant Stachel |
| U20 Women | |||
| Erin Vringer | Saint John, NB | Saint Johns Red Track Club | Kyle Kepler |
| Marika Couture | Québec, QC | Club d'athlétisme de l'Université Laval | Vincent Filion |
| Ella Ballard | Victoria, BC | Prairie Inn Harriers | Bruce Deacon |
| Emily Cescon | Toronto, ON | University of Toronto Track Club | Ethan Davenport |
| Muriel Lovshin | Toronto, ON | Toronto Olympic Club | Brian Lovshin |
| Michelle Gray | Mississauga, ON | Mississauga Track and Field Club | Paul Carter |
| Non-travelling reserves | |||
| Sierra Rodrigues | Bolton, ON | Saint John Track Club | Chris Belof |
| Léane Baril | Rouyn-Noranda, QC | Tracklass | Christian Villeneuve |
| Open Men | |||
| Connor Black | Forest, ON | London Western TFC | Dave Mills |
| John Gay | Kelowna, BC | Vancouver Thunderbirds Track & Field Club | Chris Johnson |
| Max Turek | Whitby, ON | Harbour Track | Paula Schnurr |
| Phil Parrot-Migas | London, ON | London Western TFC | Dave Wills |
| Mitchell Ubene | Tecumseh, ON | Royal City Athletics Club | Terry Radchenko |
| Andrew Davies | Hamilton, ON | Harbour Track | Paula Schnurr |
| Non-travelling reserves | |||
| Jeremy Coughler | London, ON | London Western T&F Club | Dave Mills |
| Mike Tate | Antigonish, NS | London Western T&F Club | Dave Mills |
| Open Women | |||
| Julie-Anne Staehli | Lucknow, ON | Team New Balance Boston | Mark Coogan |
| Natalia Allen | North Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Thunderbirds / Brooks | Chris Johnson |
| Katelyn Ayers | Orillia, ON | Victoria Endurance Club | Hilary Stellingwerff |
| Kate Bazeley | St. Johns, NL | Newfoundland Athletics | Jon Brown |
| Regan Yee | South Hazelton, BC | Under Armour | Stephen Haas |
| Maria Bernard-Galea | Calgary, AB | University of Calgary Athletics Club | Matthew Galea |
| Non-travelling reserves | |||
| Jessy Lacourse | Québec, QC | Club d'athlétisme de l'Université Laval | Félix-Antoine Lapointe |
| Branna MacDougall | Glenburnie, ON | Physi-Kult | Steve Boyd |
| Mixed Relay | |||
| Kate Current | Coburg, ON | London Western TFC | Guy Schultz |
| Erin Teschuk | Winnipeg, MB | New Balance | Andrew Carlson |
| Matthew Beaudet | Montreal, QC | Club St-Laurent Sélect (CSLS) | Samuel Marion |
| Perry MacKinnon | Coaticook, QC | Sherbrooke | Jean-Pierre Lemelin |
| Non-travelling reserves | |||
| Simone Plourde | Montreal, QC | Saint-Laurent Select | Kyle Kepler |
| Jack Sheffar | London, ON | London Western TFC | Dave Mills |
| Staff | |||
| Name | Position | Hometown | |
| Thelma Wright | Team Leader | Vancouver, BC | |
| Bruce Deacon | Team Coach | Victoria, BC | |
| Ingrid Ruys | Team Coach | Sherwood Park, AB | |
| Hilary Stellingwerff | Team Coach | Victoria, BC | |
| Kristine Deacon | Team Manager | Cambridge, ON | |
| Carolyn Daubeny | IST (Massage Therapist) | Vancouver, BC | |
| Gus Giannoutsos | IST (Massage Therapist) | Regina, SK | |
| Stephanie McCann | IST (Physiotherapist) | Coquitlam, BC |
