Athletics Canada names 59 athletes to 2025 World Championships team

For the first time in World Athletics Championships history, Canada will arrive with four defending world champions. Ethan Katzberg, Camryn Rogers, Marco Arop and Pierce LePage headline the 59-athlete Canadian team set to compete in Tokyo between Sept. 13-21.

“Being part of Team Canada again is something I’m very proud of, and I’m ready to give my best on the track,” said Arop in a press release, who will defend his men’s 800m title from 2023 against what many are calling one of the strongest middle-distance fields in history. “I trust the work I’ve put in and look forward to showing it against the best in the world.”

Arop will lead a historic Canadian contingent in the men’s 800m, as the country sends four athletes in the event for the first time at a major championship. Alongside Arop are Abdullahi Hassan of Scarborough, Ont., Justin O’Toole of Weston, Mass., and Matti Erickson of Kootenay, B.C. Canada was granted four entries after Arop earned a wild card with his 2023 world title in Budapest.

The 59-person squad includes 12 World Championships medallists, 11 Olympic medallists and 22 athletes making their debut at this level. Canada will also enter a mixed 4x400m relay team for the first time at a major championship, after qualifying earlier this year at the World Athletics Relays in China. In total, Canada will field four relay teams in Tokyo: the men’s 4x100m, women’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m.

This announcement follows the previous May naming of athletes in the marathon and race walk. Since then, two of the original selections, Malindi Elmore and Leslie Sexton, have withdrawn from the women’s marathon.

A notable absence is Olympic bronze medallist Alysha Newman. The 31-year-old pole vaulter has not competed since May and withdrew from the Canadian Trials last month due to injury.

In the women’s 1,500m, four Canadians were within the World Athletics quota, but only three were named: Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, Lucia Stafford and Kate Current. Montreal’s Simone Plourde was not selected.

The final roster may see more additions, as several athletes remain on Athletics Canada’s provisional list. World Athletics will confirm final event quotas on Aug. 30. The current team is listed below.