Emy Legault and Charles Paquet Lead Canucks in 10th at 2022 Commonwealth Games Triathlon

BIRMINGHAM, UK Two Quebec-based athletes, Emy Legault and Charles Paquet, shared 10th place finishes to lead a six-pack of Canadians in the individual triathlon races at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Friday in Birmingham, UK.

Legault, of Ile Perrot, Que. added to a dream season with a top-10 finish in her first major international multi-sport Games appearance. The 26-year-old clocked a time of 57:31 while powering through the 750m swim of Powell’s Pool Lake in Sutton Park before transitioning to a fast four-lap 20-kilometre bike through the city streets and rounding off with a two-lap, five kilometre run course back in Sutton Park.

“I had a great swim and a great bike to be honest. It was pretty cool to be up there with the best in the world,” said Legault who is coming off a career-best 12th place finish at the World Triathlon Sprint Championships in Montreal last month. “It was probably not my best run today, but I am happy to have my swim and bike under control. If I can get my swim and bike steady, I am sure that my run will come back. I am still really happy with my race.”

Legault, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season winning her first World Cup silver-medal podium in June to go along three, second-place finishes in America’s Cup races this spring, was joined by two other Canadians in the top-15 of the field of 33 athletes. The three Canadians rode on each other’s wheels in the top-10 heading into the transition onto the run.

Dominika Jamnicky (Guelph, Ont.) raced to 13th place in her second Commonwealth Games appearance. The 30-year-old bettered her 2018 Commonwealth Games by one spot with a time of 58:00

“Walking down to the pontoon, I had one little moment to myself and was overcome with emotion. I thought ‘man, this is so cool, we don’t get to do this very often.’ In that moment I knew I was going to do my best and do everything I could to make my country proud today. I am happy to walk away with a better performance than I had in 2018. At the end of the day, I am just super proud to wear the maple leaf on my suit,” said Jamnicky. “We had such an amazing staff backing us every minute leading up to this race. It was so seamless and so easy because everything was taken care of, and every minor detail was thought through. Big kudos to the staff today, we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Two-time Olympian, Amélie Kretz (Saint-Therese, Que.), matched her Tokyo 2020 Olympic finish, crossing the line in 15th. Competing in her first international race of the season, Kretz clocked-in at 58:03.

“It was my first race since the Olympics, so I was expecting to be a bit rusty. I had a good start. I was just on my own on the right side keeping the same pace as the girls on the left. It got a bit chaotic, as it always does, on the buoys. I worked on the bike on the first lap and caught up to a little group and then no one really wanted to work on the bike so I sat there, positioned myself, and made a big effort before transition to be at the front,” said Kretz, who had the fastest transition onto the run. “The run was mostly surviving, because that is definitely the training that has been lacking this past year. I worked well with Dominika. She would pull me up the hill and I would do the work on the downhill. We had a bit of a fun little run together trying to make our way around that run course. I’m just happy to be back racing and looking forward to building from here and doing some real training.”

Bermuda’s Flora Duffy successfully defended her Commonwealth Games title, running away from the field with a time of 55:25. Two athletes from Great Britain hopped onto the silver and bronze-medal steps of the women’s podium. Georgia Taylor-Brown finished second at 56:06, while Beth Potter rounded out the podium at 57:06.

It was a bittersweet day for the Canadian men with two young Canucks charging into the top-15, while two-time Olympian Tyler Mislawchuk was forced to the sidelines with mechanical issues on the bike coming out of transition.

Charles Paquet, of Port-Cartier, Que. had a solid 750-metre swim and four laps on the bike before taking on the punishing run course. The 24-year-old dug deep to lock up the final spot in the top-10 with a time of 51:58.

“I had a pretty tough day out there. That run course was pretty hard but I’m happy with the result in the end,” said Paquet. “It was fun to battle a bit with Martin (Sobey) on the run course. It was a fun experience.”

Competing in his first multi-sport Games at the international level, the 25-year-old pride of Prince Edward Island stuck close to his teammate throughout most of the three-sport discipline, finishing on Paquet’s heels in 11th at 51:58.

“Being my first major Games, it was a pretty exciting environment with a lot of people out and a lot of cheers on the run. My ears are still ringing a bit from that. There were some good moments and some tough moments out there, but overall I’m super proud,” said Sobey.

Alex Yee, of Great Britain, was crowned men’s Commonwealth Games champion after pulling away from the field on the run to post a time of 50:34. Hayden Wilde, of New Zealand, was second at 50:47. Australia’s Matthew Hauser snagged the bronze medal with a time of 50:50.

Tyler Mislawchuk, of Oak Bluff, Man., had to settle for cheering on his teammates during the bike and run portions of the race. Mislawchuk popped a tire on his bike coming out of transition. After riding to the next wheel station to change wheels, his gears wouldn’t shift.

“At that point, I got told to call it a day and save it for the relay,” said Mislawchuk. “I’m proud of my teammates, they did a good job, and we’ll move on to Sunday from here.”

The Canadians will be back on the start line July 31 for the mixed relay. Canada’s paratriathlon program will also compete at the Commonwealth Games for the first time ever as Jessica Tuomela and her guide, Emma Skaug, will look to put their names in the history books at Sutton Park on Sunday.

Canada has four triathlon medals in the history of the Commonwealth Games. Simon Whitfield and Carol Montgomery both won gold at the 2002 Games in Manchester, England. Kirsten Sweetland won the silver medal at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and Joanna Brown claimed bronze in Gold Coast, Australia four years ago.

Birmingham 2022 will feature 19 sports and eight para-sports as part of its program with up to 4,500 athletes taking part. The Commonwealth Games are the only multi-sport event that feature equal standing for sport and para-sport events, and these 2022 Games will showcase the largest para-sport program ever. In addition, for the first time in its history, the Games will feature more medal events for women (135) than men (133).

ABOUT TEAM CANADA 2022
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be host to 72 participating nations and territories taking part in the Games. The Commonwealth Games are a valuable opportunity as a steppingstone and development opportunity for Canadian athletes, coaches, and managers working towards Olympic and Paralympic success. Canada’s performance projection in 2022 is a top 3 ranking, in total medals, amongst all nations and territories competing. Commonwealth athletes won 80%+ of Canada’s medals at the 2020 Olympic Games

Team Canada’s dedicated mission team will provide an optimal environment by celebrating equality, diversity, and non-discrimination. This is in support of our goals needed to enable a best ever performance by Canadian athletes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

ABOUT TRIATHLON CANADA
Triathlon Canada is the governing body of the sport in the country. Triathlon Canada’s more than 22,000 members include athletes, coaches and officials from the grassroots to elite levels. With the support of its valued corporate partners – 94 FORWARD, 2XU Canada, Training Peaks, Subaru Canada– along with the City of Victoria, Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Own the Podium, Triathlon Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and World Champions in all race disciplines. For more information on Triathlon Canada, please visit us at www.triathloncanada.com.

ABOUT COMMONWEALTH SPORT CANADA
Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth sport movement in Canada. CSC is an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community and supports Canada’s athletes to achieve excellence at Olympic, Paralympic Games, and world championships. The mission of CSC is to enrich the lives of youth across the Commonwealth and host the Commonwealth Games. CSC is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s participation in the XXII Commonwealth Games and will be sending a team of almost 400 of Canada’s best athletes and coaches to compete for Canada. The upcoming Games will occur in Birmingham, England from July 28 through to August 8, 2022. For additional information go to: www.commonwealthsport.ca.

 

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