Kyle London delivered a gutsy and historic performance at the Ontario Combined Events Championships this weekend, claiming silver in the U20 men’s decathlon with a personal best 6056 points. Competing in his first year in the U20 age group, London’s performance was all the more impressive after failing to register a height in the pole vault—earning zero points in the event—but still breaking the 6000-point barrier. His total moves him to No. 4 on the Ottawa Lions’ all-time U20 rankings and puts him within striking distance of the club record of 6430, set by Taylor Corney in 2009.
In the open men’s decathlon, Leo Wallner also climbed the podium with a silver-medal effort, finishing with a score of 5275 points.
The Championships also served as the Canada Summer Games Trials for Ontario athletes, and Lions thrower Connor Fraser left no doubt in his bid for Team Ontario selection. The Carleton University student launched the discus 51.55 metres on his second attempt—a massive lifetime best and more than five metres ahead of the next best competitor—to secure victory and surpass the Athletics Ontario “A” standard. Fraser also added a silver medal in the shot put with a seasonal best of 15.55 metres.
Middle-distance runner Safwan El Mansari kept himself in the conversation for Team Ontario with a tactical win in the men’s 800 metres, crossing the line in 1:55.44. While the performance fell short of the required 1:50.65 standard, El Mansari’s win puts him in a strong position as the selection window remains open into the summer. He also notched a personal best of 49.17 in the 400 metres.
Several other Lions may yet hear their names called for Team Ontario, with final decisions to come in the weeks ahead. Among those under consideration is Ange-Mathis Kramo, who continued his stellar U18 campaign with personal bests in all three of his sprint events. Kramo ran 10.71 in the 100m heats—moving to No. 3 all-time in the Club’s U18 ranks behind Olympians Oluseyi Smith and Oluwasegun Makinde—before placing fifth in the final with a windy 10.59. His 200m bronze came in a Club U18 record time of 21.41, tying him for 14th fastest in Canadian U18 history alongside Olympian Christopher Morales Williams. He added a third-place finish in the 400m, stopping the clock at 47.80.
In the women’s discus, Jessica Gyamfi cracked the Club’s all-time top-10 with a personal best throw of 44.48 metres, moving to No. 7. The result continues a run of form that has seen her set personal bests in three consecutive meets, adding over three metres to her lifetime best. Gyamfi also added a silver medal in the shot put with a best throw of 12.76 metres.
Sprinter Jorai Oppong-Nketiah earned a pair of silver medals in the U20 women’s sprints, posting seasonal bests of 11.58 in the 100m and 24.17 in the 200m. Her consistent performances keep her in strong contention for Team Ontario selection.
Rounding out the weekend’s medal performances was Sabrina Di Maso, who rolled to a personal best 48.94 seconds in the 200m para wheelchair event to capture silver.
With records falling, athletes peaking, and selection decisions looming, the Ottawa Lions’ summer is just heating up as we build towards the hosting of the Canadian Track and Field Championships July 30 to August 3 at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility.