After a two year absence, the Royal Canadian Legion Championships kicked off Friday morning in Sherbrooke with 25 Lions athletes set to compete over the three day competition. The pride came in with gusto, picking up a full set of medals and six top 10 performances.
Will Batley was crowned Canada’s fastest 15 year old Friday as he captured gold in the U16 boys 100 metre race in a time of 11.39 seconds. Battling a head wind of 1.7 metres per second, the West Carleton Secondary School student’s time was just one one hundredth of a second off his personal best set at the OFSAA Championships back in June.
With his victory, Batley becomes the first Lion to win the U16 100 metre gold in 20 years, and just the third all time – joining Olympian Oluseyi Smith (2002) and Matthew Stenson (1994).
Next on the podium was Kai Gibson, as he hoped, skipped, and jumped his way to a silver medal in the U16 boys triple jump. The reigning OFSAA high jump champion used his bouncy feet to bound his way out to a personal best distance of 12.60 metres on his first jump. Proving it was no fluke, he followed it up with a jump of 12.59 metres on his final attempt.
Similarly to Batley, Gibson’s medal was the first for a Lion in the event since 1979 when future Olympian and Lions Hall of Fame member Brian Marshall also took home the silver medal.
Rounding out the podium performances was Timeo Atonfo who nabbed himself a bronze in the U16 boys 100 metre hurdles. Atonfo, a silver medalist last weekend over the 200 metre hurdles at the Ontario Championships, finished in a personal best time of 14.26 seconds, just three one hundredths behind second. Atonfo’s teammates Mason Brennan and Zach Jeggo finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Rounding out the top-10 finishes was Adelle MacLeod, who placed ninth in the U18 girls long jump with a distance of 4.88 metres.
For live results, visit: https://chrono-v.ca/220805
Live streaming: athleticscanada.tv