New Brunswick athletes chase Olympic spots in Edmonton

Thirteen members of Team New Brunswick are leaving for Edmonton Tuesday to take part in the Canadian track and field championships.

Some of the team members have a good chance of qualifying for the Olympics in Rio, Brazil says Steve LeBlanc, director of high performance for Athletics New Brunswick.

"We've had a fairly active and maybe exceptional season. We've had quite a few New Brunswick records broken and in fact, a Canadian record broken by one of our athletes this year. So it's a been a very good season so far."

LeBlanc told Shift that Geneviève Lalonde of Moncton broke the Canadian record this season in the 3,000 metre steeplechase and is heading to Edmonton ranked No. 1 in the country.

'We've got our fingers crossed that she'll not only win the championship but then qualify to represent Canada in Rio at the Olympics.- Steve LeBlanc, Athletics New Brunswick

"We've got our fingers crossed that she'll not only win the championship but then qualify to represent Canada in Rio at the Olympics," said LeBlanc.

"She's competed at several major international meets including a diamond league meet which is one of the bigger IAAF that's held. She's definitely leading the way for New Brunswick athletes."

Lalonde represented Canada at the World junior track and field championships in Moncton in 2010.

"She was a medallist at the Jeux de la Francophonie, an international games where she won a bronze medal in the steeplechase," said LeBlanc.

LeBlanc says Lalonde trains hard, especially in the steeplechase because it's not just an endurance event but there is the technical component to it as well.

"It's a fairly technical event as well as being an endurance event so its got that extra component to it."

LeBlanc says Lalonde is a fairly good technician and is a flat out runner. "In fact she's posted some of our best ever times in the 800 metre all the way to 5,000. She's an exceptional runner who has committed a lot to both the conditioning requited and the development of the skill required for the steeplechase."

Good medal chances

But LeBlanc says there are other athletes who have a good chance of doing well at the track and field championships especially in the women's distance running events.

Grace Annear of Hampton and Sarah Mcpherson of Fredericton have been breaking provincial records "left, right and centre" in their events this season said LeBlanc adding some were previously held by Lalonde.

"Grace is going in having run a 2.03 — 800 metre which is exceptionally fast. She is presently ranked in the top 10 in the country in the 800 metres so we're hoping she'll make that eight-person final and once you're in the final, anything can happen.

"You always say you have to be in it to win it."

LeBlanc says McPherson has the same opportunity as she is also ranked in the top 10 in the country for the 1,500 metres, has broken a provincial record and has a good chance to be on the podium.

Shane Dobson of Campbellton is a para athlete ranked No. 2 in Canada for the T-37 class and is No. 5 in the world for the 1,500 metres.

"We're hoping to see a big number out of Shane and hopefully a qualification to head to Rio so another possible Olympian for us so we're pretty excited."

Other athletes heading to Edmonton are Barry Britt of Hampton, Naomi Maltais of Val d'Amour, Christel Robichaud, who is a para-athlete in the shotput and discus in the F56 category, and Nic MackMakin of Quispamsis. 

Five other athletes will be competing in the Canadian junior championships.

LeBlanc says while the team has a top goal to see Lalonde and Dobson qualify for the Olympics, they are also hoping to bring back some medals from Edmonton, make the top eight and achieve personal bests.