OTTAWA — Lauren Gale and Maëliss Trapeau have been named to Team Canada for the first-ever Pan American Senior Athletics Championships, Athletics Canada announced Thursday. The two Ottawa Lions athletes will travel to Medellín, Colombia, where the championships are scheduled for June 26-28.
The Lions will have a strong presence throughout the competition. Ottawa Lions coach Glenroy Gilbert will lead the Canadian squad.
“There are all kinds of things that a competition like this can benefit our athletes,” Gilbert said in a statement released by Athletics Canada. “There are ranking results on the line to help athletes get into some of the Diamond Leagues later in the summer. It is a high-level competition, so you want to perform at a high level. That’s primarily what our focus is when we select our teams — we’re looking at a team that can perform at a high level.”
The championships come at a busy time for the Lions program. Ottawa hosts the 2026 Canadian Track and Field Championships just days before the Pan American competition gets underway in Colombia.
Gale brings relay momentum into historic meet
Gale enters the championships as Canada’s top-ranked 400-metre runner this season, riding a wave of confidence after helping Canada win bronze in the 4×400-metre relay at the World Relays in Botswana earlier this month. The two-time Olympian and multiple World Championships competitor has never before represented Canada at the senior Pan American level, making this a milestone appearance despite her extensive international résumé.
Gale did compete at the Pan American level earlier in her career, representing Canada at the 2019 Pan American U20 Championships in San José, Costa Rica, where she ran the 400 metres and helped set a national under-20 record in the 4×400 relay while finishing second.
“I’ve never been a part of a Pan Am team so I’m really excited to compete in a meet at that level,” Gale said. “It is an honour to be selected and to compete against some of the best athletes in the world.”
Gale said her strong relay showing last month has her primed heading into the summer.
“I’m feeling good coming off World Relays. It was a great meet for all of us and has definitely boosted my confidence. My goal is always to execute my own race and run fast — especially while representing Canada. It’s always an honour and I am looking forward to a fast meet.”
Trapeau opens outdoor season in style
Trapeau, a University of Ottawa graduate, is headed to Medellín after a statement opening to her 2026 outdoor season. She finished third in an 800-metre race in Italy on Wednesday in 2:00.39 — the fastest outdoor opener of her career.
The selection follows a breakthrough 2025 campaign in which Trapeau claimed her first national title on home soil before representing Canada at the World Championships in Tokyo. There, she posted a personal best of 1:58.90 to finish sixth in her semifinal — the sixth-fastest time ever recorded by a Canadian woman in the event.