Hello Everyone!

It is always an honor when an athlete is selected to represent his country. I for one appreciate the opportunities I have been given in the past to run for Canada. However my primary focus as a sprinter is always the 100 metre individual event and the relay is always an added bonus. Unfortunately I am in a position where the relay has become a distraction for me and sometimes you have to sideline an honor to actually put food on the table.

I have thought about this very carefully and it hurts me to announce some time out from the 4x100 metre relay program. I have made this tough decision because the time requirements of the relay program are overlapping with competitions that are giving me the opportunity to earn a living. Although I feel like I am letting people down, I have to look out for my own interests as my physical prime is fast approaching.

The people that w ant to see me succeed will understand the difficult position I am in. A sprinter competes in a pressure filled world; the last thing he needs is a federation making the career difficult and applying even more pressure. In my case this is making it difficult for me to reach my full potential.

Nicolas Macrozonaris

“Athletics Canada announces XVIII Commonwealth Games Team”

(Ottawa) – Athletics Canada is pleased to announce today the athletes who have been selected to compete at the XVIII Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games take place in Melbourne Australia from March 15^th to 26^th. Athletics competition kicks off on March 19^th.

Head Coach Les Gramantik is excited about the chances of surpassing the medal count from the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England. “This team of 43 athletes has the objective to surpass our medal count (12) from four years ago in Manchester. Our leader going into these games is Chantal Petitclerc, Canada’s most successful track and field athlete in 2005. Also returning to these games are nine of our 12 medalists from Manchester.” Gramantik also knows how important the Commonwealth Games are. “The Commonwealth games are the mid way point of our Olympic cycle and it is part of our preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.”

Athletes

Name Event Hometown

Allen, Charles 110 metre hurdles Brampton, ON

Babcock, Courtney 5000 metres Chatham, ON

Berrett, Tim 50km Racewalk Edmonton, AB

Boswell, Mark High jump Brampton, ON

Brannen, Nathan 1500 metres Cambridge, ON

Broomfield, Erica 100 metres Scarborough, ON

Browne, Pierre 4 X 100 metres Toronto, ON

Coolsaet, Reid 5000 metres Guelph, ON

Cummins, Diane 800 metres Vancouver, BC

Dortch, Tawa 400 metre hurdles Edmonton, AB

Douma-Hussar, Carmen 1500 metres Cambridge, ON

Ellis, Dana Pole vault Kitchener, ON

Elmore, Malindi 1500 metres Calgary, AB

Ferguson, Tracey 800 metres wheelchair T54 Toronto, ON

Forrester, Nicole High jump Cookstown, ON

Gill, David 800 metres Mashteuiatsh, QC

Henry, Kelsie Pole vault Saskatoon, SK

Henry, Anson 100 metres, 4X100 metres Pickering, ON

Joyce, Jennifer Hammer throw Richmond, BC

Kerr, Matt 3000 metres steeplechase Elora, ON

Kortchaguina, Lioudmila Marathon Thornhill, ON

MacLeod, Jared 110 metre hurdles Winnipeg, MB

Macrozonaris, Nicolas 4 X 100 metres Laval, QC

Martin, Jacques Discus, Javelin F55 St-Denis Brompton, QC

McCann, Stephanie Pole vault Surrey, BC

Palmer, Hank 4 X 100 metres Pierrefonds, QC

Parris, Emmanuel 4 X 100 metres Etobicoke, ON

Petitclerc, Chantal 800 metres wheelchair T54 Montréal, QC

Quinn-Smith, Tara 10000 metres Waterdown, ON

Reed, Gary 800 metres Victoria, BC

Roy, Diane 800 metres wheelchair T54 Hatley, QC

Russell, Scott Javelin throw Windsor, ON

Slowik, Dariusz Discus throw Kamloops, BC

Steacy, James Hammer throw Lethbridge, AB

Stellingwerff, Hilary 1500 metres London, ON

Stevenson, Nicole Marathon Toronto, ON

Sullivan, Kevin 1500 metres Brantford, ON

Tadili, Achraf 800 metres Montréal, QC

Teteris, Aimee 800 metres Vancouver, BC

Tunks, Jason Discus London, ON

Vermeulen, Kate 800 metres Victoria, BC

Whyte, Angela 400 metre hurdles Edmonton, AB

Zelinka, Jessica Heptathlon London, ON

Coaching Staff

Gerner, Carole Manager Lethbridge, AB

Gilbert, Glenroy Coach – Sprint / hurdles Ottawa, ON

Gmitroski, Wynn Coach – Middle distance Victoria, BC

Goulet, Martin Coach – Long distance Longueuil, QC

Gramantik, Les Head Coach Calgary, AB

Laroche, Jean Coach – EAD Sherbrooke, QC

MacDonald, Scott Manager Ottawa, ON

Pirnie, Bruce Coach – Throws Winnipeg, MB

Jean Laroche, Head Coach of the Paralympic Program on the Games. “The Commonwealth Games offer a unique opportunity to demonstrate the quality of our athletes. It is the only major games that fully integrate Paralympics results. This means a lot to our athletes and they always want to perform at their best to bring medals back to Canada. Ferguson, Martin, Petitclerc and Roy all have a very good chance of bringing some medals home.”

Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for the sport of track and field including cross-country running and road running.

-30-

Mathieu Gentès

Marketing & Communications Manager

Athletics Canada

(613) 260-5580 ext. 3303

mgentes@athletics.ca

www.athletics.ca

_______

POUR PUBLICATION IMMÉDIATE

Le 15 février 2006
http://www.athletics.ca/article.asp?id=8231

February 13th, 2006, OTTAWA – A number of athletes identified by Athletics Canada as prospective members of the Commonwealth Games team are looking very strong.  Saturday at the Iowa State Classic in Ames Iowa, Charles Allen (Brampton, ON) and Jared MacLeod (Winnipeg, MB) shared first place in the 60 metre hurdles, both recording a time of 7.77 seconds.  In the preliminaries on Friday Allen ran a time of 7.80 while MacLeod finished in 7.85 seconds.

On Sunday at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Kevin Sullivan (Brantford, ON) improved on his Canadian record in the indoor 3000 metres in a time of 7:42.17.  Sullivan finished in third place ahead of Nathan Brannen (Cambridge, ON) who clocked in at 7:47.0.  Sullivan also owns the Canadian record in the 1,500 metres, the mile, and the indoor two mile.  On Friday Malindi Elmore (Calgary, AB) finished the women’s 1 mile invitational in third place with a time of 4:31.03.

Sunday in Ottawa at the Commonwealth Games Trials, Nicolas Macrozonaris (Laval, QC) won the 100 metres with a time of 10.55 seconds.  Emmanual Parris (Etobicoke, ON) was second with a time of 10.60 and Hank Palmer (Pierrefonds, QC) was third in a time of 10.66.  In the 150 metres Anson Henry finished first in 15.62 seconds, Palmer was second in 15.81 and Parris third in 15.93 seconds. 

At the Husky Classic in Seattle Washington on Saturday Courtney Babcock (Chatam, ON) won the women’s one mile run in a time of 4:31.87.  On Sunday Reid Coolsaet (Hamilton, ON) finished second in the men’s 5000 metres crossing the finish line in 13:45.31.

Athletics Canada will announce its Commonwealth Games team on Tuesday February 14^th.

Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for the sport of track and field including cross-country running and road running.

Event 2  Men 100 Meter
================================================================
    Name                                Year Team                    Finals
================================================================
  1   664 Macrozonaris, Nic  80 Qu- Sls                10.55 
  2   715 Parris, Emmanuel       82 Qu-Sherbrooke   10.60 
  3   666 Palmer, Hank             85 Qu- Sls               10.66 

Full results here:

http://www.ottawalions.com/Resultsssun4.htm

Men 50 Meter   Sask Lottery Invitational
 
1 Macrozonaris, Nicolas Canada             5.72  
2 Laynes, Jeff        United States        5.73  
3 Gailes, Tyree       85 United States     5.78  
4 Green, Tom          United States        5.84  
5 Morlu, Abe          Liberia              5.88  
6 Richardson, Jorge   Puerto Rico          6.06  
7 Palmer, Hank        Canada               6.18  
8 Walls, Timothy      85 United States     6.36  
Newton, Adam          Canada               SCR  
 
 
Men 60 Meter   Sask Tel Invitational
 
Finals
1 Laynes, Jeff                 United States           6.61  
2 Macrozonaris, Nicolas        Canada                  6.61  
3 Gailes, Tyree             85 United States           6.67  
4 Morlu, Abe                   Liberia                 6.77  
5 Nathan, Taylor               Canada                  6.79  
6 Green, Tom                   United States           6.83  
7 Moore, Carlos                United States           6.83  
8 Walls, Timothy            85 United States           6.89