Athletics Canada has revealed its marathon team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships, including three men and three women, but not without a surprising omission. Rory Linkletter, who ran a personal best of 2:07:02 at the Boston Marathon last month, has chosen to skip the event in favor of attempting a national record later in the year.
Linkletter, who has set his sights on running a time of 2:05 or 2:06, explained that the conditions in Tokyo wouldn’t be ideal for such a fast time. Instead, he plans to target marathons in Chicago, Valencia, or Chandler, Arizona, later in the year. Cam Levins, the current national record holder with a time of 2:05:36, will replace Linkletter on the team, alongside Ben Preisner and Justin Kent.
The women’s team includes Natasha Wodak, Malindi Elmore, and Leslie Sexton. None of these athletes met the 2:23:30 qualifying standard, but they earned spots based on rankings. On the men’s side, none of the selected runners achieved the 2:06:30 standard, though Linkletter was the highest-ranked Canadian.
The team also includes veteran athletes such as four-time Olympian Moh Ahmed, who will race the 10,000 meters, and world record-holder Evan Dunfee, competing in race walking. Dunfee recently set a new world record in the 35 km race walk and is considered a favorite in his event.
Athletics Canada expressed confidence in the team’s experience and readiness, with head coach Glenroy Gilbert targeting personal bests and podium finishes in the competition. The World Championships will take place from Sept. 13-21 in Tokyo.
Source: Swifteradio.com
