BEAVER BANK: A Beaver Bank cross-country athlete has been named to the Canadian team that will represent the country at a world championship next year in Serbia.
Abby Lewis was named as an athlete on one of the five teams that will wear the Maple Leaf at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championship in Belgrade, Serbia next March.
Lewis, who races out of the Athletics East stable, will join six others on the Under-20 women’s team, with three of them from Toronto, Ont. and two from Calgary.
The other U-20 athlete is from Quebec.
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Canada will field five teams (U20 women and men, Open women and men, and a mixed-relay team) comprising two Olympians, 10 World Cross Country Championship veterans, several national champions and top varsity athletes.
“I’m particularly enthused about the dynamic mix of experience and new talent within our team,” said Team Leader Heather Hennigar.
“We have athletes for whom these championships represent a pinnacle event, while others will use it as an opportunity to gain valuable experience on the global stage.”
The March 30 competition will take place in the Park of Friendship, next to the Danube River in the heart of Belgrade, which was also the site of the 2013 European Championships.
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Some of the athletes will be competing with their eyes looking towards later in the summer, said Hennigar.
“We also have individuals who view this as a strategic stepping stone on their journey toward the Paris Olympics later in the summer,” she said.
Hennigar said each athlete can now focus on their training to be ready to represent the country.
“Coaches and athletes will be working diligently over the next few months to ensure that each athlete’s preparation aligns with their specific goals, whether that be peak performance in Belgrade or part of a larger strategy leading to the Olympics,” Hennigar said.
