Ottawa – Athletics Canada announced today that the 2017 and 2018 Canadian Junior / Senior Track and Field Championships will be held in Ottawa, Ont. Athletics Canada, the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism and the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club jointly made the official announcement this morning at Terry Fox Athletic Facility.
“The City of Ottawa is pleased to welcome Athletics Canada and looks forward to hosting the athletes, coaches, families and spectators that will come here to compete, cheer and enjoy our city,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “The Canadian Track and Field Championships is a welcome addition to our planning for Ottawa 2017.”
Athletics Canada announced in March that as of 2015 the Canadian Track and Field Championships will comprise junior (19 and under) and senior (19 and over) age categories, as well as continued para-athletics integration.
Ottawa last played host to the Canadian Track and Field Championships in 2006, “We are very excited to be in Ottawa for the 2017 and 2018 edition of the Championships, it’s fitting to be in the nation’s capital to help celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday,” said Rob Guy, Athletics Canada Chief Executive Officer. “The City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism and the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club will help us put on a great competition for 1,500 athletes, and a great show for Ottawa sport fans.”
The Canadian Track and Field Championships is a four-day competition for the nation’s best Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The championship serves as selection trials for national teams, such as the World Championships, World Junior Championships, Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, and Pan/Parapan American Games.
The backdrop for today’s announcement at Terry Fox Athletic Facility, site of the 2017 and 2018 Canadian Track and Field Championships, was the 2014 Panamerican Combined Events Cup and Combined Events Canadian Junior and Senior Championships. The event runs through Friday. More on that event here.
